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Writer's pictureJose Campo
Sep 288 min read

Invincible Jets: The "special team" reshaping Newcastle's youth pipeline

In a feat that should be recognised, Newcastle Jets Youth secured a dominant promotion to the Football NSW League One competition after an undefeated 2024 season, winning the League Two title. The triumph is crucial for the Jets' future as the club will have the opportunity to test their young talent against better opposition and develop players for the A-League Men more effectively. Much of the successful season can be credited to head coach Damian Zane, who played a significant role in developing the club's next generation of talent. Zane recently spoke to Front Page Football  about his 2024 season with Newcastle.

Newcastle Jets Youth celebrate Alex Nunes' winner against Mounties Wanderers in Round 22. (Image: Brett Nielsen Photography)


Damian Zane joined the Newcastle Jets at the start of the 2023 season as the head coach of their youth team. Having previously coached and won titles in the Northern NSW NPL, it took some adapting for Zane to lead a competitive side in the Football NSW competitions. In his first season, the Jets finished third, four points behind Nepean FC in second, missing out on promotion.


"We were disappointed with the way things went the year before (in 2023). It was my first year, so always in the first year, there are things that you get used to. Different competition, very little access to the opposition, and travel is a big factor, so we have learned from these things," Zane told Front Page Football recently.


However, this year saw the Jets coast to the league title, finishing clear of second-placed Mounties Wanderers by 13 points and securing automatic promotion to League One. Newcastle improved significantly from last season, scoring 92 goals in 2024, 24 more than their 2023 campaign.


"We had goals in us. We had lots of goals from all different places, so we were fairly hard to stop and pretty unpredictable, which is something I like," Zane said.

"I think this year, the difference was that we were stuck in games. Our mentality was so much stronger than the year before, and we kept feeding off this. The mental side of the game was one area I think we lifted [in], and we matched [against] men. Normally, you don't get that in youth teams. When it's going good, it's good, but when it's not, with a lack of experience, you can't pull yourself out of the hole."

Since starting his stint at Newcastle, Zane has believed that building a positive team culture and atmosphere is essential for his team to succeed on the pitch, both technically and mentally.


"At the start, I didn't feel we had as much culture in the club, and people will say that academies are about making it (to the professional level), but it can be about culture, especially from a town where there is one team as far as A-League academies go. We built that culture and work ethic, which is what Newcastle is renowned for," he added.


"I think it is important, and you have to remember, if you want to look back at the season, we didn't think there was going to be a club. We have an NPL ourselves (in Newcastle), and clubs are trying to sign your players. The boys could've easily jumped ship, and they didn't; we didn't lose one player.

"That's special; that's not just a team, that's a special team, and to not know about your future and continue getting results, keep working hard. I told them to focus on the football, but there was plenty being said in the media that we were on our last legs. It was a special team effort and a very special group of players."

Newcastle Jets Youth head coach Damian Zane. (Image: Brett Nielsen Photography)


For 2024, Zane prioritised preparing the squad mentally for a long season involving 13 matches away from Newcastle. Out of the 28 league games, the Young Jets won 23 and dominated away from home, winning ten on the road while remaining undefeated.


"We were very together. The idea I gave to the boys was, if you all perform as a team and work hard for each other, you'll win games, attract attention, and give yourself more of a chance to push into the A-League. If you can sacrifice a bit of yourself for the team, your personal goals may be achieved," Zane explained.


"That way, rather than everyone thinking their own personal way, which is selfish, we made it all about the team. I'd say that's the biggest thing we worked on that drove standards, and they just had standards at training. They trained so hard and so well that the results speak for themselves. It's old school: 'The way you train is the way you play', but these terminologies work. I think people have forgotten about them in football."


Rob Stanton, the head coach of the A-League Men's side, also had a significant presence within the youth team. Zane spoke of Stanton's influence and what it means for a coach like him to lead his hometown club.


"I think I have seen him at more games than a lot of coaches. He gets what Newcastle wants to see in a team. The people of Newcastle want Newcastle players. We don't expect every player to be from Newcastle, [but] we want to see some local players, and he gets that," Zane explained.


"That is a major hurdle for some coaches; they don't understand the town [but] he came and fitted in.


"His support has been unwavering, and that stability in the coaching ranks has shown in the player ranks [as well]. We're pretty happy with how it is going: we've got a young first-team, and three boys got scholarships, so he showed there's a pathway. These are major things that haven't happened enough at our club.

"Rather than turn Newcastle into something it's not, he's embraced it."

Stanton's support eventually aided performances on the pitch after the presence of the A-League Men's coach watching the youth teams put some extra pressure on Zane's players early on.


"At first, whenever he turned up, we never won because the players knew he was there and there was a bit of pressure. It was really good; we joked about it, but as the season went on, they started relaxing. Rob took the time to talk to them, and that's massive for young players. It shows that he is interested," Zane explained.


During their successful campaign, numerous standout performers helped the Jets achieve their premier status. Zane highlighted Ben van Dorssen as key to sparking the 12-game win streak that led them to the title. Another is Janni Rafty, among the many Zane named as crucial, whose development is progressing positively after a change in role within his side.


"He (van Dorssen) was very good for us. I think we won the last 12 or 13 games, and on the first win of that run, we were playing at home against Central Coast United. We were down 2–0, and he scored two goals. We won that game 3–2, and the rest is history. That, for me, was the turning point [of this season]," Zane said.

"Rafty also had a really good season and chimed in with about 13 goals. That was a real breakout season for him. He hasn't been known to be a prolific scorer, and that was something we wanted to help him achieve. He's always had the assists, but to add goals was a massive step in the right direction."

Zane wants to develop more talent through Newcastle's youth system and help them realise their strengths, as Rafty showed in 2024. Given his role of nurturing players to progress to the A-League Men, Zane explained how he envisions player development at Newcastle.


"We don't want to stifle and turn players into robots. We want them to express themselves as individuals, but the collective is always [to work] together. We can't compete with budget, so we need to have something else, and that's togetherness and culture, which I feel is coming all the way through the club," he said.


"Rob spoke really well of the young boys' achievements, and the first team can see we have been working hard. The level has lifted a lot, so all of a sudden, there is a club. I think it is our job to create a culture inside the club, and I feel that it is starting to happen. Hopefully, Rob and myself can continue to build that."


Looking towards next season, the Young Jets will face a more challenging task in League One, but this will prove beneficial because it will allow the club to develop players at a higher level of semi-professional football, and possibly the highest level should promotion to the NPL NSW be achieved.


"We've got a nice generation of players and some really good talent building underneath, so we feel that we have gone up, and the time is right to have a crack and get up again to NPL 1," Zane said.


"We understand that it's going to be a tougher league again, but the growth of our players and the fact that Rob has signed a few of them—even though we're young, we are going to have a few scholarship players in our ranks.


"Last year, I don't think we even had a scholarship player in our ranks. That's a big jump from where we have been. We think if we had such a good year and improvement from League Two, if we play better teams in League One, our level is going to go through the roof again."

Zane and Stanton will now be backed by new owners Maverick Sports Partners, who took over in June 2024 after Newcastle was at risk of folding due to a precarious financial situation. Zane praised the new owners for focusing on connecting with the community and youth, bringing a promising future to Newcastle.

 

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"It has been really aligned. Sometimes, youth is forgotten at clubs, and the new owners have come in and praised the boys; they deserved it. This year, we were in dire straights, and what the boys did was pretty special considering that," he said.


"It was special anyway, but the fact that we were all almost dead and buried, the boys kept grinding it out, result after result. The new management came in and made them feel really special, being proud of their achievement. It's a nice touch, and the players feel wanted; no one wants to leave.

"It's fantastic; that's what you want your club to be. Unfortunately, not everyone can fit in but if they have a good time and become a better player under us, that's all we can do."


Looking ahead to pre-season, Zane demonstrated his ambition and commitment to the club. He is looking for more success on and off the pitch with his squad, which should produce exciting young players in the future.


"I think we can go up again, but it will take time to adjust. We don't have any expectations of walking in and going undefeated, but we're not going in expecting to lose either. We think we're good enough to compete straight away," Zane said.


"Time will tell. Maybe we need a year to adjust. Where we get better is as the players develop, so if their development stays on track and they continue to work at the level they are at, I believe we can compete with anyone because as the years go, we will get better and better."


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