He knows their job is far from over… but Max Burgess believes the Newcastle Jets are certainly heading in the right direction.
The Hunter-based A-League Men’s (ALM) club moved into third spot on the ladder at the weekend following its impressive 2-1 win over the Western Sydney Wanderers at CommBank Stadium.
And, it came off the back of equally-imposing victories at the expense of table-toppers Auckland FC (3-1) and champions Melbourne City (1-0) in recent weeks.
But, Burgess – who celebrated his stand-in captain’s role with a man of the match performance – admitted he’s not surprised by Newcastle’s success.
“I don’t want to speak too soon,” he said.
“However, from day one though our Australia Cup run, I felt there was something special.
“A real collective attitude, a real selflessness… and that’s important in a team sport.
“Everyone works hard for each other.
“I think the last 15 minutes (on Saturday) is testament to that.
“It was another great win by the boys.
“So, I’m really excited moving forward.”
With the Jets ahead 2-0, coach Mark Milligan was forced to replace goalscorer Eli Adams due to injury, while Lachlan Rose, Clayton Taylor and Will Dobson earned a spell on the bench in the second half.
That opened the door for Western Sydney slightly, who struck late for a nail-biting finale.
“I remained pretty confident, we’ve fought hard the past few weeks,” Burgess said.
“So, I knew we had it in us.
“In the end, there were plenty of chances for both sides.
“But, as a group – and a young one – we’re learning how to win football matches.
“That’s important.
“When I arrived [at Newcastle], and spoke to Millsy, it was all about getting better each day.
“So, I think absolutely every player out there is seeing the results of that.
“The work ethic that we train with is coming to fruition on the field.”
Following stints with the Wellington Phoenix (23 games), Western United (25) and Sydney FC (72), Burgess admitted he was relishing his football again at the Jets.
“When you’re happy off the field, you play well,” he said.
“I’m just really enjoying working with this group and Millsy and Stava (Nicholas Stavroulakis).
“They were both midfielders throughout their careers, so I can learn a lot from them.
“Although I’m getting a bit older, I still feel like I have plenty of football left in me.
“I’ve got a lot of growth.
“I am just really enjoying working with these young players, guys like Dobbo (Will Dobson), Eli (Adams), Clay (Taylor) and Lucas Scicluna, who made his Newcastle debut and was brilliant.
“This group is special… and I’m privileged to be part of it.”
The Jets now face Wellington at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday 23 January.
For more sports stories:
- Adams’ sensational strike rockets Jets into third spot on ALM ladder
- Full circle for Knights greats as experience fuels NEWRL
- Jet-propelled upset ALW win helps Newcastle climb to fifth
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