Mitchell Johnson, Peter Haynes and Joel Wood have all signed six-month contracts with the club.

Johnson, 24, burst onto the scene as a youngster with Newcastle United in the National Soccer League competition and became a stand-by player for the Australian team for the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championships. The following year Johnson headed  to Europe, where he trialled with the likes of Stade Rennais in France and Partick Thistle in Scotland.

However, the promising midfielder was unable to secure a contract at this time and missed out on the opportunity to join a club for the inaugural A-League season in 2005/06. Johnson found employment in the Hunter region coal mines in the meantime, but returned to the Jets to trial last week and his decision to return to the pitch was rewarded  with a contract.

Haynes comes to the current A-League champions as the leading goalscorer in the Northern NSW State Football League competition, with a record 23 goals for eventual champions Broadmeadow Magic in 2008. Indeed, Haynes scored in a trial against the Jets for the Magic in early July, when he netted a sublime 30-yard strike. In addition to his on-field commitments, the striker has been working as the Community Football Officer for Northern NSW Football.

Wood, meanwhile, has recently returned to Newcastle from a stint in the Hong Kong first division with Tuen Mun Progoal. Before his move to Asia last September, the athletic 24-year-old formed a formidable strike partnership with Haynes at Broadmeadow Magic and trained heavily with the Jets throughout the A-League 2007/08 season.

Jets' Chief Executive Officer John Tsatsimas has welcomed the three local products to the club.

He said: "Mitchell, Peter and Joel are all very talented players who will each add something different to our squad over the next six months.

"Newcastle is one of the true heartlands of football in this country, and has been a producer of fine talent for many, many years. We have a long, proud history of the game in the Hunter region and it's players like these that have ensured that this strong tradition has  been maintained.

"It's always a pleasure to welcome new players to our club, but it is certainly special on this occasion given that all three players are Novocastrians."