NEWCASTLE JETS

Next up are the Hunter hunters, who so far have been hunted a lot more than they're hunting.

O'Donovan's made an interesting switch to Brissie after rejecting the club's "generous offers", but at 33 and after a hit-and-miss previous campaign, that might not be the worst move.

Ronald Vargas's loss is a bigger blow, but given his fitness record, again it's not the end of the world.

Instead they've brought in a startling signing indeed. Panamanian striker Abdiel Arroyo, 25, is a loan from the Panamanian league but he was a striker at the 2018 World Cup and has already racked up 45 caps and seven goals for his country - not bad at all.

He hasn't had much of a showing outside his home country bar the showpiece tournament, but he's got great physical attributes and is exactly the sort of striker the A-League's lacking.

With Ernie Merrick undoubtedly seeking a return to the fast-paced quick breaks that reaped such reward two season's ago, Arroyo is one of the most exciting and enticing signings of the off-season so far.

Matt Millar also stacks up well, especially given the fiery F3 Derbies his transfer is set to create.

Unfortunately they lost Georgievski, Cowburn and Vujica in the process, which turns that plus into a negative, but with time remaining it's not all bad for the Jets' rebuild.

They really do need to look at more attacking stocks given how wayward their shooting boots can be, because heaping the pressure on Petratos and a young Panamanian may not be the best method. 

The centreback pairing may also need a refresh. While Nigel Boogard and Nikolai Topor-Stanley have proven a dynamo pairing for the Jets, another year in both their legs with very little support behind them may be a problem going forward.

IN

Pat Langlois (promoted, youth team) 
Matt Millar (Central Coast Mariners)
Nick Fitzgerald (Western Sydney Wanderers) 
Abdiel Arroyo (Arabe Unido - loan)

OUT

Roy O'Donovan 
Ronald Vargas, Daniel Georgievski, Jair, Nick Cowburn, Jake Adelson, Kwabena Appiah (all released) 
Ivan Vujica