Newcastle Jets' true believers united in quest for success

But the Jets' longest-serving players all share the same goal - to taste success with their beloved club.

Together, they have ridden Newcastle's highs and the lows.

Gema Simon and Hannah Brewer were fresh-faced teenagers when the Jets made finals in the first season of W-League, now rebranded as A-League Women.

That was in 2008-09, when the Jets were led by footballing great Cheryl Salisbury.

It took nine years before the club recorded another top-four finish and finals appearance in 2017-18.

Both times they did not progress past semi-finals.

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Simon and Brewer were part of that squad again in 2017-18, along with Tara Andrews, Cassidy Davis and Claire Coelho.

Then they were all there in 2019-20 as the Jets collected the wooden spoon.

Last year the Jets finished second-last on the competition's points table. They were in most games but lacked a killer punch.

The quintet will form the spine of this year's Jets side and say the tough times have only worked to galvanise them.

Jets co-captain and left-back Simon, who has 11 caps for the Matildas, is gearing up for her 13th season in Jets colours and has never felt more motivated to play.

The 31-year-old is Newcastle's most-capped player with 127 games for the Jets and 138 in the league.

She has overcome numerous injury setbacks in her career and this year went through a long and lonely off-season after knee surgery.

"Before I had the surgery at the end of last season, I was a bit unsure about what I wanted to do," Simon said.

"But once I had it, I knew I still wanted this. I want to play. I want to win something with Newcastle. I want to make finals again.

"I've played with a lot of the girls here for years and, I not only want it for myself, I want it for them. And, for all of the people who have come through, and everyone who's worked so hard to get us to this point."

Centre-back Brewer will play her 11th season in Jets colours. She had stints with Melbourne Victory, Melbourne City and Canberra United between 2014 and 2017 before returning to Newcastle, where she has continued to be a key player in their push for another finals appearance.

"Last year, we worked really hard and were really disappointed with our results, and where we finished on the table was quite disappointing," Brewer said.

"But, we know that we have it in us to succeed, and we can see that at training. We know how hard we work on and off the ball.

"I think with the new additions this season and everyone having that extra time to jell over last year, we can only progress further and further develop our game and become the team that we know we can be."

Jets co-captain and midfielder Davis has made a league-record 97 consecutive appearances for the Jets since debuting in 2013-14. She is poised to reach her 100-game milestone in a ninth season and has never wanted to play elsewhere.

"Getting to 100 is something I want to achieve with the Jets, and hopefully more than that," Davis said. "I love playing for my home town and being here with the core group of girls who have stuck around as well.

"We're slowing building on something and I wouldn't want to be playing anywhere else."

Tara Andrews is the Jets' all-time leading scorer with 39 goals in 11 seasons.

She told the Newcastle Herald this week that she remains hungrier than ever for goals and will be key to the team's success this campaign.

At the other end of the pitch, Coelho continues to establish herself as the Jets' leading goalkeeper.

The 25-year-old has been with the club for the past eight campaigns and has risen to the challenge of being their top shot-stopper in the past two years.

Retaining that spot and pushing for finals continue to be a driving force.

"This is my ninth season with the club and I've only had one finals series with the Jets," Coelho said.

"You always remember that time and playing group and what kind of feeling it was going into that. When you get a little bit of a taste of it, you want to push for more and this group has that goal.

"But, at the same time, we're going week by week and working on those little things as well to get there and achieve the bigger goal."

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