The Jets will take three youth team players on their tour of China and leave senior-squad members Mitch Cooper, Andy Brennan and Radovan Pavicevic at home.
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Strikers Kristian Brymora and Cameron Joice and midfielder Cody Carroll have been training with the first team and will be on the plane when the squad flies out on Thursday morning for a two-week tour of owner Martin Lee’s homeland.
Brymora came on as a substitute in Newcastle’s FFA Cup game against Melbourne Victory this month and Joice played for Australia at the Under-17 World Cup last year. Both are in year 12.
Carroll was the Jets’ player of the year in the National Youth League last summer.
The Jets have two under-20 players on their books, injured defender Daniel Alessi and left back Ivan Vujica, but must sign a third under A-League regulations.
Coach Scott Miller opted to use Brymora in front of Cooper, Brennan and Pavicevic against Victory, and he spoke last week of “possibly moving some players out”.
Confirmation that those three players, all of whom have a year to run on their contracts, will miss the China tour suggests they will have few opportunities under Miller.
Cooper played 12 times last season, including four games as a starter, Brennan played the last three games off the bench, and Pavicevic played a total of 93 minutes in seven appearances as a substitute.
“It’s a competitive environment, and if you can’t underpin and undertake the level of detail I’m giving the players, consistently, there’s no place for them at the Jets,” Miller said last week without referring to players by name.
It was “their responsibility” to find new clubs if they chose to leave the Jets.
“It’s my focus on the majority of the group, and ultimately they need to focus on their future,” Miller said. “I’ll support them and give them everything, but they need to contribute more.
“But that just puts everyone on notice. It’s a competitive league and, as I keep saying, the A-League will only improve – it’s not only about commercial and bums on seats, it’s about the level and quality throughout the entire squad.”
The Jets will play three games in China, against Chinese Super League club Liaoning FC and Hong Kong clubs Eastern SC and Kitchee SC, before returning on September 5.
They then play practice games against Edgeworth on Sunday, September 11, and Western Sydney Wanderers a fortnight later in Cessnock.
The club could also play another warm-up game against A-League opposition in regional Victoria before they kick off the season at home against champions Adelaide on Sunday, October 9.
