The Newcastle Jets have not taken long to shake up their squad, with a number of names already set to depart from Hunter stadium.
Having finished 2015-16 in eighth spot on the A-League ladder with just eight wins for the season, the focus has now shifted to an evolution of the squad, as coach Scott Miller and interim Chief Executive Officer David Eland met with all out of contract players individually.
This has resulted in the announcement that midfielders Leonardo, Enver Alivodic and Ryan Kitto, utility Cameron Watson plus youngsters Brandon Lundy and Josh Baressi will all depart Hunter Stadium before the beginning of 2016-17.
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Having only signed for the Jets in November, Kitto has shown promise beyond the team as a whole when operating on the wing, scoring two goals in 18 appearances over his short stay. Leonardo also leaves with less than 12-months of A-League experience under his belt, with the Dutch Eredivisie veteran scoring just once for the Jets.
Serbian Alivodic would become a lynchpin of the Novocastrians’ attacking movement, yet unfortunately it was never really enough to threaten the opposition. He did, however, record 35 appearances for the squad after joining early in 2015. Watson would be added midway through that year, though one gets the feeling his best was not on display in the red and blue.
With their license still held by the FFA, will the Jets be able to replace these names with improved talent? Or have these men been the first to jump off a sinking ship?
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