JACK Duncan admits excitement is building ahead of the A-League season, but the keeper insists that the Jets are simply focusing on each day rather than how they will stack up against the rest of the competition.
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"I know it is a cliche, but that is how it is," the keeper said. "We are focusing on each day. Improving our relationships and improving as a team.
"The group has come together really well. There is a really good balance among the team - local boys, other boys from around Australia and really good foreigners have come in as well.
"Everyone is enjoying being together, working hard and enjoying the type of football we want to play."
Duncan is one of just seven senior players remaining from last season.
And there is a strong chance that we will be the sole survivor from the XI that beat Melbourne City 2-1 in the final round last season when the Jets open their campaign against the Mariners at home on November 21.
"We have a lot of new faces in the team," Duncan said. "Everyone who has come in has played at a really good level. They are all really good players and it doesn't take too long to spark relationships."
As well as fresh faces, the Jets are playing a new style under Arthur Papas.
"The way we want to play is high tempo, aggressive and full of destruction all over the park with and without the ball," Duncan said.
"It's not foreign to me. The junior national team had a similar philosophy.
"We are trying to build something the Jets fans are really going to enjoy watching and hopefully we make some noise around the league."
It is a style that relies on the keeper playing out from the back and having a strong understanding with his back four and midfielders.
"With football sometimes you don't even need to communicate it," Duncan said. "Building relationship and learning each other's movements. What players like to do on the ball, how they like to receive the ball. All those little things. It doesn't matter what language you speak or where you come from, it is building those relationships on the pitch.
"Hopefully with friendly games to come, we can hit the first game of the season feeling really confident in each other."
Duncan has also seen first hand what some of the new faces have brought to the Jets, especially the foreigners in the front third.
Beka Mikeltadze, Oliver Boumal, Savvas Siatravanis and Daniel Penha are training. Mario Arques is in quarantine and joins them next week.
"Beka is a very good finisher, his hold up play is good and he works really hard," Duncan said. "The boys have been impressed with Ollie as well. He is very quick and has a great left foot. Savvas has come in recently and looks to be a very good player, very skillful.
"It has been really good. We are testing each other. If I am saving shots from them, I will hold myself in good stead against the other strike forces. I think the boys we have are of the highest quality."
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