CAPTAIN Nigel Boogaard may be on the mend from a groin injury but the experienced defender is still playing a key role for the Jets.
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Boogaard has not played since straining his groin in the lead up to the 1-all draw with Perth on November 9.
In his absence, Lachy Jackson has been outstanding alongside Nikolai Topor-Stanley in the heart of defence, helping the Jets to leak just one goal in the past three games.
Boogaard is yet to complete a full training session but has been included on the bench for wins over Western United (1-0) and Western Sydney (2-0).
"If I really needed him I could put him on, but it would be very high risk with his groin injury," Jets coach Ernie Merrick said. "He is really there because he is such a knowledgeable and influential player. He makes good points at half-time. I give him the freedom to make comments to me about certain positions. He is a leader and a coach."
Merrick opted against replacing assistant coach Clayton Zane when he left to take up the position of technical director with Northern NSW.
Jets W-League coach Craig Deans sits on the bench at home games and acts as a sounding board as do goalkeeping coach Chris Bowling and assistant Qiang Li.
Boogaard hopes to be fit for the trip to Adelaide on Sunday, but Merrick has been happy with the performance of Jackson and won't rush the skipper back.
"Nigel hasn't completed a full training session yet," Merrick said. "To his credit Lachy Jackson, under pressure, is doing really well."
Jackson and Topor-Stanley, who rolled his ankle but played out the game, were dominant, especially in the air, against Wanderers.
"Fortunately most of their attacks were crosses and we handled them very well," Merrick said. "I thought lachlan, Nikolai and Glen Moss did a great job with the crosses."
After a relatively quiet open 45 minutes, Moss produced a string of quality saves, none better than the double effort to deny Mitch Duke and Kwame Yeboah in the 62nd minute.
The Jets will be chasing a third straight clean sheet in Adelaide for the first time in seven years.
