NEWCASTLE Jets members will get the first opportunity to secure seats for the final two home games of the A-League season and chief executive Lawrie McKinna expects the 7500 COVID capacity at McDonald Jones Stadium to be filled.
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The A-League draw for the final stage of the season was released on Wednesday.
The Jets return against Sydney at Jubilee Stadium on July 21 and back up three days later against the Mariners in Gosford.
There is a slight change for the two home games from the draft draw. They will now meet Western United at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday August 2 and Wellington a week later. All four Jets fixtures kick off at 7.30pm.
McKinna said the switch to Sunday for the home games was a positive.
"Everyone was wanting to get sport back and now is the time to come out and support the boys, especially if we come off a couple of good results," he said. "We are waiting on FFA to confirm details but we will put a call out to members first. Whatever tickets aren't taken up will go out to the public."
Due to social distancing protocols, members may not get their normal seats for the game. But after four months without football, McKinna is confident demand will be high.
"We were playing some good football and getting good results before the league was suspended due to the virus," McKinna said. "You can't bank on the form we had when we finished because everybody was off for three months. It will come down to which teams prepared the best when the boys were off. Injuries will play a big part as well."
The Jets are ninth on 24 points, three points behind sixth-placed Western United, who have played two games less.
If they win all four games, they should progress to the play-offs.
Coach Carl Robinson, who is in quarantine in a Sydney hotel, is looking ahead to next season as well.
"I'm talking about building this team slightly different next season," Robinson told The Herald. "We have four games left. I know what players I want to play, I know what players I want to have a look at, I know systems I want to try. Obviously it depends on results. If we don't beat Sydney and other teams win, then it will be very difficult for us [to make the six]. Then I will get to see Noah James, Jack Simmons ... I can see all the players I want to have a look at. If I am going to make a decision on them, I need to see them."
Joe Ledley has returned from Wales and Robinson said he had also received interest from other players in the United Kingdon keen to join the A-League.
"Football is going a different way based upon this pandemic," he said. "There is so much uncertainty. The amount of players I have spoken to in England and Scotland, who want to come over to Australia because they just don't know what the future holds."
