A-League: Duncan yearns for success at Jets as Ugarkovic yearns for exit

It was the reason the 27-year-old shot-stopper signed a one-year deal with the Jets, knocking back approaches from three rival A-League clubs.

"It's great to be rejoining the Jets and I'm really looking forward to the season starting," said Duncan, who made his A-League debut for Newcastle in 2011 and is back for a third stint.

"The history I have at the club. The core group [of players] are still here from the 2018 season when we made the grand final.

"Also the relationship I have with [goalkeeping coach] Chris Bowling. I knew working with him again was something that would take me to better places within my football. That was a big factor.

"Winning a title with Newcastle would mean more than potentially winning it somewhere else because I have been here over three different stints and spent a large chunk of my career here."

The COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney has forced changes to the A-League and W-League draws for the opening month.

The Jets kick off their season against Central Coast in Gosford on New Year's Eve as scheduled but the round two visit by Western Sydney at McDonald Jones Stadium has been moved back three day to January 8.

The clash against Melbourne City at AAMI Park, initially set down for January 8, has been postponed.

The round four battle with Macarthur FC on January 17 is unchanged.

The Jets W-League side were to open their campaign against Brisbane on December 28 but now have the bye.

The remainder of a revised W-League draw is expected to be out later this week.

Duncan's endorsement of the Jets came on another drama-charged day in which Steve Ugarkovic's agent accused Newcastle management of "double standards" after they rejected the midfielder's latest request for a release.

Ugarkovic, who two months ago expressed a desire to follow coach Carl Robinson to Western Sydney, offered to buy out out the remainder of his contract.

Bernie Ibini took that action last week and has signed with Wanderers.

However, with the Jets to kick off the season against the Mariners in eight days, that avenue is not available for Urgakovic.

"Steven has been informed he must stay for the season, and in the light of the Bernie Ibini situation, we feel there's a double standard there," Ugarkovic's representative Jason Coorey told The World Game.

"It's very upsetting for the player. He no longer has a relationship with the Jets management and is really only talking to his teammates."

Ugrakovic, 27, will front the media after training on Wednesday but there were no signs of unrest at a gym session on Tuesday.

Unlike Ibini, who had 10 days stress leave and then failed to front for three weeks, Ugarkovic has been among the Jets' best on the training paddock and in pre-season friendlies.

Ugarkovic is off contract at the end of the season and can sign a pre-contract with another club from January 1.

Jets chief executive Lawrie McKinna said Ugarkovic's situation was different to Ibini's but did not want to respond to the agent's accusation of "double standards".

"Steve is a contracted player and we expect him to play out the season," McKinna said.

Wanderers have parted ways with keeper Daniel Lopar and were are understood to be keen on Duncan.

Duncan, 27, has returned from Saudi Arabia, where he played the past two seasons at Al-Qadsiah FC, and has been training with the Jets since the start of pre-season.

He has ambitions to go back overseas, but for now his focus is on beating Lewis Italiano for the starting spot and repeating the success he has when last at the club.

"I have been a No.1 [keeper] now for the last four years," he said. "I'm not planning on taking a step back. I still have a lot of ambition and drive to further my career as well. "

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Duncan has no doubts he has returned a better keeper from his experience abroad.

"The biggest thing was the pressure that comes with being a foreign player," he said. "You really have to be putting in a good performance week after week or - as history shows - they will get rid of players pretty quickly.

"I saw out my contract which sometimes is a rare thing in that part of the world. With the global situation and seasons being disjointed, for the time being, the decision to come home was the right one.

"This is my adopted home. There is a different pressure that comes with that. Also the pressure within the squad. We have three really good goalkeepers here. The pressure to hopefully get my place and retain it is always there."

In his last stint in Newcastle, Duncan was first choice ahead of Glen Moss for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns.

He was in career best form in the second season but suffered a strained quadriceps in the win over Melbourne City in the preliminary final and was injured for the grand final, which the Jets lost in controversial circumstance 1-0 to Melbourne Victory.

"I was really disappointed not to be out there. It would have been a great experience and probably a moment to look back on in my career. It didn't happen so that gives me motivation to make it happen hopefully this year."

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