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Northern NSW Football CEO Peter Haynes with Lake Macquarie City mayor Adam Shultz. Photo: Tianna Sadaj<\/p>\nThe soaring success of the Newcastle Jets is doing more than lifting spirits in the stands \u2013 it\u2019s driving a surge in grassroots football across the region.<\/p>\n
With the Hunter-based outfit relishing a seven-game winning streak, with no signs of slowing down, the ripple effect is being felt well beyond the A-League pitch.<\/p>\n
And, Northern NSW Football (NNSWF) CEO Peter Haynes says the timing couldn\u2019t be better for local clubs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think everyone benefits when the Jets are successful,\u201d he said. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s great timing for us \u2013 with Newcastle in hot form, right in our peak registration period, is fantastic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re thankful for that\u2026 and it\u2019s a very exciting time for football.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Northern NSW Football CEO Peter Haynes with Lake Macquarie City mayor Adam Shultz. Photo: Tianna Sadaj<\/p>\n
Haynes admitted strong A-League performances consistently translated into local growth \u2013 not just in registrations but in overall engagement with the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you see young boys and girls and families engaging with the top flight club, and talking about it, we see it in the media a little bit more, we hear about it on the radio, we see it on the TV, we see more people going to games \u2013 that\u2019s only a good thing for football,\u201d he told the Newcastle Weekly.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat flows into people\u2019s decision making when it becomes time to decide what sport to play this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
NNSWF is already feeling the impact, with registrations tracking about 20% higher than the same time last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great place to be,\u201d Haynes admitted.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, we need to make sure we continue to drive that momentum, and that we\u2019re supporting clubs to be able to cater for that growth and giving everyone a great experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just about collecting more and more players.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about making sure that, as that growth occurs, we\u2019re able to give those new players a fantastic experience and keep them in the game.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Haynes believes one of the biggest factors behind the current buzz is the visibility of local talent succeeding at the elite level, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it does translate into more football content \u2013 whether that\u2019s traditional registrations, people coming into summer football to try the sport, or simply becoming a volunteer, a referee, or a coach, we definitely do see an uplift,\u201d he explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cParticularly this year, the Jets are doing so well with local players, and that\u2019s really important for the local community.\u201d<\/p>\n
He pointed to youngsters like Will Dobson, Xavier Bertoncello, Ben van Dorssen, Lachlan Bayliss and Max Cooper as examples of footballers who have progressed through local pathways to the A-League stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI take my six and 10-year-old boys to the games\u2026 and they understand Will Dobson\u2019s story,\u201d Haynes said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey understand the local boys\u2019 stories have come from the Academy or local football clubs and to see them progress at a higher level just amplifies people engaging in the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s the saying in football that you can\u2019t be it, if you can\u2019t see it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s so important \u2013 to see the journey, to see not just them get an opportunity, but to take that opportunity and be successful.<\/p>\n
\u201cNewcastle and Northern New South Wales Football is a regional centre.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut, that doesn\u2019t mean that we\u2019re limited in terms of what we can do, the opportunity we have, or what we can achieve.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd, for the Jets to be on top of the table in February, with local kids, it is so great.\u201d<\/p>\n
The flow-on is also being felt in the women\u2019s space, with female participation now making up more than 35% of NNSWF\u2019s playing base \u2013 one of the fastest-growing segments of the sport.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve seen the girls have so much great success,\u201d Haynes said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo have our girls as such good role models is huge.\u201d<\/p>\n
And for Haynes himself, the resurgence is personal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMyself and my boys, we go to most games and we\u2019ll be there on the weekend,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey absolutely love it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re Jets fans and have been through the difficult times, so it\u2019s great to now be a part of the good times.\u201d<\/p>\n
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