Newcastle Jets have made the finishing touches to their Westfield W-League 2018/19 squad with the announcement of two new signings and one re-signing.
Pana Petratos is back on board after a breakthrough year in Jets colours last season and Libby Copus-Brown has returned to the club after a year away from football.
Teigan Collister, meanwhile, has signed from NPL NSW side North Shore Mariners.
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Petratos made seven appearances off the bench last season, and with just 81 minutes of Westfield W-League experience under her belt, she’ll be looking to kick on in 2018/19.
The attacker will have some stiff competition this season for spots in the final third, but after a strong season in the NPL NSW Women’s competition with the North West Sydney Koalas she’ll be gunning for more minutes this time around.
Teigan Collister is the unknown quantity in Jets colours this year – an attacker who hasn’t previously played in the Westfield W-League but boss Craig Deans has described her as ‘unpredictable’.
After a solid season in the NPL NSW with North Shore Mariners, and time previously in the Young Matildas set-up, Collister will be looking to make the most of her opportunity with the Jets.
Libby Copus-Brown is a player who Deans is familiar with – she was with the Jets squad during his first season with the club back in 2015/16.
In all, the midfielder has played 16 times for the Jets Westfield W-League team but took last season off to travel overseas. Back in Newcastle, Copus-Brown made the WPL Team of the Year with South Wallsend in the winter and is in good condition.
Deans said he was pleased to have the squad finalised ahead of their November season opener against Melbourne Victory.
“It’s great to have these three girls locked in for the season, they’re all very good players and they’ll bring a lot to the squad,” Deans said.
“Pana looks fit and strong, she did well in the NPL NSW over the winter and I definitely think she’ll play a lot more football this season.
“Teigan is an unknown quantity, she’s the type of player who you’d look to throw on late in the game when you need something different.
“Libby’s a player I know, she played for the Jets for a few years while I was here but took last year off. She rang me and said she was keen to play again, I invited her in for a trial and she did enough to earn a contract.
“All three will be in contention for the squad for our opening match in Melbourne on November 1.”
