DAMIAN Zane doesn't believe enough juniors are coming through the local system to play A-League for the Newcastle Jets.
Jets Technical Director and former A-League championship-winning coach Gary van Egmond agrees.
It is a statistic that both are desperate to correct.
Zane has taken the reins of the Jets Youth team and has been tasked with gaining promotion to the NSW NPL 1 competition in the next two years. Ideally, he would like to achieve that with more home-grown talent.
"You can stand on the outside and throw stones. We have all done it. But there comes a time where you have to jump on board for the kids and help them get to where they want," Zane said.
"Something hasn't been working because there hasn't been enough players coming through. The talent is there. I know we are a small area, but we are a proud area that has produced players generation after generation.
"Next season is the first time in 22 years that our Jets juniors (13s to 18s) are up in the top division [in NSW]. If we can get the youth team and under-20s promoted, the program is back on track."
Van Egmond has been involved in Newcastle football as a coach, father and administrator for two decades.
"There has been one Socceroo, Connor Metcalfe, come through the NNSW pathway in the past 20 years," said van Egmond, who began in the Jets TD role last month.
"That is a bit of an indictment on the area, considering the numbers and the fact we are a pretty parochial football landscape here.
"We need to make sure we provide opportunities for the players. It is great that the juniors are in NPL 1 now. That will help as far as competition is concerned. We have looked at lots of different competitions for the players to get into. The pre-academy is about to be launched from under-9s to under 12s.
"We are talking to the university about a pilot program for female players in particular. We want to start a 12-month program, especially for the young aspiring players. There is a lot going on."
Since bursting on to the NNSW NPL scene in 2015, Zane has forged success with young, mobile, hard-working teams. He guided Edgeworth to four premierships and three grand-finals wins before spending the past two season at Broadmeadow Magic.
Along the way he has helped develop and given opportunities to the likes of Sam Donnellan, Tom Beecham, Bailey Wells, Will Ingram, Keanu Moore, Ayden Brice and Jose Atayde.
"Damian is an ambitious coach and deserves an opportunity at an A-League club," van Egmond said. "He has been arguably the premier coach in the local scene for a while. "We are happy that it is a Newcastle person. That is another part of what we are trying to change here."
Zane will continue to coach Broadmeadow in the Northern NSW NPL, but will lean more on assistants John Bennis and Mason Palmieri.
The Jets youth train primarily in the early morning. Magic train at night. The seasons run side by side and there will times when games clash.
"The Jets will take precedence," Zane said. "Broadmeadow were OK with that. I will put a bit more responsibility on my assistants which will be good for their growth. There is a lot of work to do, but I like a challenge."
Van Egmond said improving the Jets' relationship with local clubs was a priority.
"The whole club has been like an island. We have to be more inclusive and start to talk more with the clubs and be more grateful to the clubs for the players coming from NPL land. That builds trust in the football landscape.
"If we are getting four kids from an NPL club. That club has to go out and find four players, which is not easy. We can't give back from a money perspective, but we can give back in regards to time. We can help with regards to coach education, we can get Jets players to junior matches so the youngsters can meet the people they aspire to be like. There are plenty of things we can do."
