Last season's A-League grand finalists the Newcastle Jets head to the Manning/Great Lakes next week as part of the club’s pre-season schedule.
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It is the second successive year the Jets have visited this area, in what Football Mid North Coast chairman Mike Parsons described as ‘a massive boost for the code here.’
On Monday the Jets will conduct a coaching clinic at Forster’s Boronia Park from 3pm to 4pm. This will be for players aged six to 14 and those attending must register beforehand. Details are on the Football Mid North Coast Facebook page.
“The players will also be available to meet and greet fans and to sign autographs,’’ Mr Parsons said.
The squad will then head to Port Macquarie on Tuesday for further promotions. This will culminate in a match on Tuesday night from 7.30 between Football Mid North Coast North and South selections.
The teams will share a half each against the Jets. Rod Bartley from Taree and Jonathon Newman from Forster-Tuncurry will coach the South side, with the squad chosen from the Taree, Tuncurry-Forster, Wallis Lake and Camden Haven clubs. Wallis Lake currently leads the Football Mid North Coast Premier League competition.
Jackson Witts, Lucas Mepham and Curtis Jones are the Taree players involved. Reyne Black (Wallis Lake), Beau Wynter (Wallis Lake), Bayden Schumann (Wallis Lake), Blair Smith (Tuncurry-Forster), Mark Mallia (Tuncurry-Forster), Mitch Yarnold (Wallis Lake), Ethan Perry (Wallis Lake), Roan Whitman (Wallis Lake), Mitch Minors (Tuncurry-Forster) will represent the Great Lakes. Camden Haven’s Rob Holland and Jeremy Ruprecht make up the squad while Jack McDonagh from Wallis Lake is the shadow reserve.
On Wednesday the Jets will stop by at the Football Mid North Coast holiday coaching clinic held at the Zone Field at Taree Recreation Centre for a barbecue. This will also be open to the public.
“It’s a great privilege for us to have the Jets here,’’ Mr Parsons said.
“The club’s just back from China where they won the tournament they were playing in. Now they’re again using our area as part of their pre-season, building into the 2018/19 A-League season.”