A-League Women: Long-serving Newcastle Jets left-back Gema Simon keener than ever to play

The Jets co-captain and left-back, who has just been announced as Charlestown Azzurri's key signing for the 2022 Northern NSW National Premier Leagues Women's season, is itching to get out on the training paddock after a lengthy break due to injury setbacks.

Simon had surgery to give her left knee "a bit of a clean-out" at the end of Newcastle's last campaign.

She was set to join APIA Leichhardt in NSW NPLW in June before the season was cut short due to a coronavirus outbreak in Sydney.

A calf complaint then prevented the 11-times capped Matilda from joining her Newcastle teammates when pre-season training began on October 25.

"It's hard watching training; I hate it," Simon told the Newcastle Herald.

"I still haven't done a full contact session yet. It's been about seven months now. I tore my calf around eight weeks ago. I was back running for a couple of weeks then hurt it again. So, I'm back to doing some rehab with that and just trying to get the body right because it's been a long time since I've played.

"I feel really good though. I've done a lot in the gym, a lot of rehab and my body feels strong. I feel much more functional. My knee feels really good. I just can't wait to get back on the field and actually test it."

Throw lockdown life into the mix and the past seven months has been a long haul for Simon. There were times when she questioned herself.

But the Jets veteran has unfinished business with Newcastle, where she has played all but one of her 13 W-League seasons. The other, 2014, was with Melbourne Victory.

Simon is Newcastle's most-capped player with 127 games for the Jets. She was on board for both semi-finals appearances in 2008-09 and 2017-18. The club has not made a women's grand final.

"It's been a very long seven months," Simon said. "I've done everything by myself. I haven't been able to be around a team. At times it's hard to stay motivated.

"Before I had the surgery at the end of last season, I was a bit unsure about what I wanted to do. But once I had it, I knew I still wanted this. I want to play. I want to win something with Newcastle. I want to make finals again.

"I've played with a lot of the girls here for years and, I not only want it for myself, I want it for them. And, for all of the people who have come through, and everyone who's worked so hard to get us to this point."

Simon believes squad consistency can prove key this year with 11 players returning.

While the Jets were competitive in most of their matches, they failed to take the results they sometimes deserved last year and 12 games is too few to play catch-up when you have a slow start. But there is a certain excitement in Jets camp this campaign.

"We definitely started to build something here in Newcastle last year and it's good that we've kept the majority of the squad together," Simon said.

"It feels like everyone has just picked up where we left off and we're just building on that now. Everyone has done a lot of work in the off-season, including the staff behind the scenes, and it's a really good feeling amongst the group.

"You can see the girls are working hard and there's just something that feels a little different this time around."

The addition of Norwegian forward Maria Dolvik Markussen should add some spark and experience to the Jets, who have been starved of international players for the past two seasons. The Jets confirmed Markussen's signing on Monday.

Before the announcement was made, Simon had told the Herald that imports could give the Jets an edge over their rivals.

"I think that's just what we've been missing the past couple of years," Simon said. "Just maybe that bit of X factor. And, it always lifts the standard of your training and your games when you bring in internationals.

"It will be good if we can get a couple in and just go from there. Last year, we were in a lot of games and I think that might be the determining factor as to whether or not we make finals this year.

"When you look at other squads that have made finals in the past, they all have international players. That's one thing we've been missing in Newcastle for a couple of years now."

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