Broadmeadow striker Jacob Dowse rewarded for patient approach

However, hard work on the training track and a cautious approach under Magic coach Damian Zane last year is paying dividends in 2022.

Dowse, 21, has scored six goals in six games, including a first-minute finish in the 3-1 win over Maitland on Saturday, to help Broadmeadow sit second on the NNSW NPL ladder.

The breakthrough run has been a long time coming for Dowse, who debuted in first grade as a 16-year-old in 2017 after overcoming three anterior cruciate ligament injuries as a Jets junior. His first knee reconstruction came at just 13 and a hamstring graft from his father was used to repair the ACL.

As a senior, a cartilage defect in 2018, then another in the opposite knee the following year, restricted him to a handful of top-grade games across two seasons at Magic.

When taking over at Broadmeadow in 2021, Zane focused on building Dowse back to full fitness at training with a view to this season.

With the departure of several senior players from Magic, Dowse is now leading the attack for the youthful line-up, who have won their past four games.

"Last year we spoke to him about it being a frustrating year," Zane said. "Rather than get him back on the field, we tried to get his training back to normal and that meant game time was spasmodic and it depended on how his training was going.

"He deserves the success he's having because he's been very patient in getting himself right, and he's flying."

Dowse said his injury battles had been "super tough but hopefully I'm on the other side of it".

"I always had faith that once I got on top of it, I'd be right, so it's a good feeling to finally be fit again, and it helps scoring goals and winning," Dowse said.

"[Zane] obviously knew the back-story with my injuries, and he said to me that last year was always going to be a year to build into this year, and just to be patient and get fully fit.

"I think he knew I was going to start playing well and he obviously had plans with those boys leaving, so he backed me and I feel like I'm starting to repay him."

Dowse showed he was on the rise with a standout performance up top against Western Sydney in the 3-0 FFA Cup loss last November. The effort attracted interest from the Melbourne Knights but Zane encouraged Dowse to have a full season at home first.

"It would be a top move but this is really my first full year and I knew I needed to get that under my belt," Dowse said. "So if I keep playing well, you never know. I might go down there at the end of the year."

"We obviously lost a lot of the senior boys so we all had to step up this year.

"We knew it was going to be a pretty young squad, and we've been doing pretty well.

"After the first couple of weeks I thought it was going to be tougher, but we were playing good and just not getting the results. We just needed to get that result, and now we're four in a row."

Dowse had played predominantly as a winger in previous seasons but was "loving it" as a central striker this year.

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