Jets look to imports to boost young W-League side

On Thursday the women’s Jets unveiled six teenage players  to take their squad to 12.

A W-League squad can carry up to 20 players.

Midfielders Ashlee Brodigan, Kobie Ferguson and Clare Wheeler, backs Brooke Miller, Sophie Nenadovic and goalkeeper Hannah Southwell have all impressed under the Emerging Jets Program this season.

Wheeler, Miller, Nenadovic and Southwell were part of last year’s squad that finished in fifth spot with five wins, two draws and five losses. 

The four, alongside  Ferguson, also represented the Young Matildas at the Asian Football Confederation under-19 championships in China last month. Brodigan and Ferguson are yet to make their W-League debut.

The Jets have lost Matildas vice-captain Emily van Egmond to German club FFC Frankfurt, American import Tori Huster and former skipper Hayley Crawford to a broken leg from last season.

The final of the US National Women’s Soccer League is scheduled for October 1, so Deans said he expects to begin signing two to three US imports within weeks. He also hopes to lure Australian players from other  clubs.

‘‘I want people with a good mentality and attitude, who come out here because they want to improve themselves as footballers,’’ Deans said.

‘‘Also people with a good level of professionalism to make sure they’re coming in as the main players,’’ he said.

‘‘I want the younger girls to learn from them.’’

Finding experienced central midfielders will be the main focus. 

‘‘We’ve been talking to quite a few players at the moment, so it’s just a matter of getting the right one and putting the arrangements in place to get them over here,’’ he said.

The Jets began their six-week pre-season this week and plan to play several trials against Emerging Jets boys teams and other W-League clubs before their opening competition game against Perth Glory on October 24.