In a busy off-season, an injection of new talent has strengthened Branko Culina's squad. Kasey Wehrman, Ruben Zadkovich, Jeremy Brockie and Marcello Fiorentini have been added to a squad that finished two games off a grand final spot last season.

Experienced keeper Paul Henderson is also in as short-term cover for the unlucky Neil Young and youth league defender Taylor Regan gets his chance to show what he can do in the senior squad, while young Brodie Mooy's conversion from striker to attacking right back could yet be another Culina masterstroke.

Results have been encouraging thus far with the Jets holding a 100% record in pre-season. On Sunday, the Hunter side strolled past a Sydney United select XI 2-0 in the Spider Kalac farewell game.

Goals to Jets' Iraq-born striker Ali Abbas and Kiwi Jeremy Brockie  - their second each of the pre-season - sealed  the comfortable victory in Sydney.

This win followed on from a 3-1 win over of an NBN Select XI side in the Hunter and a 2-1 victory in country Victoria against Melbourne Heart.

In another encouraging sign, Sunday's match saw the return from injury of the highly underrated midfield general Jobe Wheelhouse.

"It's really positive," Milicevic told au.fourfourtwo.com. "The boys have gelled really well so far.

"I think there'll be more competition for places this year than there was last year. We're looking forward to  the season starting. The new boys have settled in really well. Everyone settles in pretty well to Newcastle.

"It's a real family atmosphere, it's a smaller town and so we all live very close to each other so there's always six or seven of us having lunch every day and dinners and so forth.

"It's a really good team to play for and Newy's great. I enjoy it. It's a more relaxed lifestyle compared to Melbourne obviously and it's a great place, great beaches and the people are really welcoming."

Abbas agrees the team spirit and unity is a big factor in the side.

"They are very good," he said of his Jets teammate. "They are friendly. And Ljubo is good."

Milicevic added:  "It's all about the team. I play my part and as long as we're winning games and conceding minimum goals it's positive.

"Definitely we'd love to be up there again. We'd love to build on what we achieved last year.

"That's the aim for the whole club and I think finals is a realistic target, as all clubs do but I think we have the talent in the club to be there."