NEWCASTLE midfielder Brandon O'Neil reckons the A-League has never been better placed to capture the hearts and minds of the Australian public - and he is confident that the Jets will be front and centre.
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O'Neill and Libby Copus-Brown joined representatives from every club at the 2023-24 A-League season launch at the Carriageworks in Sydney on Tuesday.
The nation was gripped by football fever as the Matildas went on a record-setting run at a home FIFA Women's World Cup in July.
Ticket sales for the tournament exceeded 1.5 million and the Matildas' semi-final loss to England was the most watched event in Australian television history, drawing 11.15 million viewers.
It is the perfect platform for the revival of the domestic game in Australia.
The A-League women's season kicks off this weekend. The Jets are away to arch rivals Central Coast on Sunday.
The Jets men open their campaign on the road to Perth on Sunday week.
"The momentum we have coming off a World Cup - where everyone was talking about football - has put the game in a great position to really kick on," O'Neill said.
"Hopefully that means a lot more people at games and a lot more people watching on television. If we get that, then they will see the quality of the league itself.
"I don't think that has got enough coverage in the past few years. There are some great young kids, great players, great teams in the men's and the women's competitions. People just need to be there to witness it."
The Jets drew an average crowd of 6152 per home game last season on the way to finishing in 10th place. The following was an improvement on their previous two COVID impacted campaigns, but well below their peak years of 2007-08 (14,176) and 2017-18 (12,560).
New coach Rob Stanton has assembled an exciting young squad, with a mix of experience. The pre-season results have been promising and O'Neill knows the best way to attract interest is to win games.
"I seen what the Knights did this year - both men and women," said O'Neill, who won two championships with Sydney FC. "It is crazy what happens in Newcastle when a sporting team is doing well.
"That's what gets people on the bandwagon. You get results and people buy in. People coming to the games will see the young talent, they will see the experience in the team, they will see a team that is Newcastle through and through. That starts with winning. As simple as it sounds, it can have a huge effect."
James Gardiner
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
