Sunny Franco out to make most of return A-League Women's season with Newcastle Jets

Now, the 24-year-old hopes she can repay the Jets for opportunity with more goals this A-League Women's season.

Franco knows composure is key. The former Australian youth player provided an injection of pace and attacking threat in the wide areas of Newcastle's top third last year but only managed to find the back of the net twice.

She started in all 12 of Newcastle's games last season. The goal breakthrough did not come until a match brace in a 4-0 win over Perth in round 11.

"To score a few more goals would be nice this year," Franco told the Newcastle Herald. "I lost my head too much in front of goal. I would get the ball and would already be thinking I'm going to stuff this up before I even took the shot.

"So, I think a bit of confidence in my game will go a long way this year."

Franco played for Brisbane Roar, Sydney FC and Western Sydney then had a two-year sabbatical before rediscovering the desire to play top-level football with the Jets.

"I lost interest a little bit, and I think that was because it was just so much effort," she said.

"I didn't really have a job outside of soccer, so, when I wasn't getting rewarded in that it messed with me a little bit. I figured I needed to get something else sorted because I wasn't going to be doing that for my career, so I had some time off.

"I'm doing a trade now as an air conditioning and refrigeration mechanic. I think that's why the season with Jets was so enjoyable last year because I wasn't fully focused on football."

Franco had been playing NSW National Premier League Women and the rise in intensity that came with a return at national level proved an adjustment.

"Coming back into it was tough, purely because the fitness of everyone else around me," Franco said.

"I had lost a lot of game fitness. But Newcastle were very welcoming and knew that I had had a few seasons off, so, they pushed me to get that back.

"They gave me the game time that I didn't really get at any other clubs. That for me, coming back this season, made it more enjoyable because I want to get more game time and see where they can take me in the future."

Coach Ash Wilson will be looking for more clinical performances in general from her forwards this year. Cohesion in the attacking third should benefit from the returns of forwards Franco, Tara Andrews, Lauren Allan, Jemma House and Sophie Harding.

"Towards the end of the season we started to jell together well on the pitch but we left it a little bit too late," Franco said.

"So, this season, we want to build on where we left off last year and hopefully get a few more wins - we only had the two last year - and play some good football."

The Jets kicked off a six-week pre-season on Monday. Their first game will be against Sydney FC at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium on December 4.

Fourteen players have been confirmed, including the retention of 11 from last season. Four players, including two internationals, are still to be revealed.

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