sport, local-sport,

The Northern NSW NPL beyond next year will have no more than 17 teams after only six of 11 second-tier clubs applied for a licence. And the Jets may not be part of the equation. Applications for a 2020 NPL licence closed last month and a NNSW Football review panel will analyse submissions on Wednesday and Thursday. The panel, chaired by former NNSWF director Larry Urdarov, will then make recommendations to the board on the composition and structure of the NPL. NNSWF chief David Eland confirmed Northern League One clubs New Lambton, Toronto-Awaba, Thornton, Cessnock and Singleton had not lodged NPL applications. Kahibah, Wallsend, West Wallsend, Cooks Hills, Belmont Swansea and South Cardiff applied. As it stands, the 11-team NPL, which includes the Jets Youth, does not have promotion-relegation with NL1 because of the lack of compliant second-tier clubs. NNSWF had hoped to have two levels of compliant clubs next year, opening the way naturally for the return of promotion-relegation. However, the shortage in applications means the NPL will remain at one level, at least in name. The second division cannot be called NPL 2 unless all clubs are compliant. But also NNSWF has assured NL1 teams that they will not be dropped to a lower level if they do not apply to the NPL or if they are not compliant. Eland said there was a strong sentiment from NL1 clubs during preliminary meetings that they were committed to applying to the NPL, but he was not disappointed some had not followed through. "I'm not surprised that a few clubs have realised they are not at the level that they need to be," Eland said. "I think the response we have is probably in line with where we thought the clubs were at. "We've individually gone through and ranked the applications and now we'll do that collectively over the next couple of days." Eland believed the most contentious issue would be the reinstatement of promotion-relegation, which the NNSWF board had reserved its decision on until the number of compliant clubs was known. He said conditional promotion-relegation could be reinstated between the NPL and NL1. Adding to the puzzle is the possibility of the male Jets Youth and academy sides playing in the NSW NPL next year. The Jets' girls teams already play in the stronger Sydney-based league. Jets CEO Lawrie McKinna confirmed the club was applying to NSW and NNSW. "Football NSW have sent us expressions of interest forms but obviously we have to fill in the paperwork from Northern as well," McKinna said. "Long-term, us playing in Sydney is going to be better for the players. The one negative could be that the youth team in the NPL could come in possibly well down the leagues and have to work their way up. But there's a lot of positives to it as well. "NSW are keen to talk to us, which is very positive, and Northern NSW have been very supportive." NNSWF initiated the move of the girls to the NSW NPL and was "100 per cent behind" the boys following suit. "Whenever the opportunity had arisen, Northern NSW Football has always promoted the fact that we thought that we Jets were best placed in the Sydney competition," Eland said. "There's no dispute that Football NSW has the best NPL competitions, and players develop best in better competitions." McKinna said the likes of Angus Thurgate, Pat Langlois, Noah James, Maki Petratos and Jack Simmons are developing with the Jets in the NNSW NPL but an initial switch to a lower NPL league in Sydney could change the approach. "It would probably mean we'd just go for a younger age," he said. "We wouldn't have any 19 year olds and probably just have 15 to 18 year olds. We'd just drop an age, but it's still good for the boys to be playing against men. "It's still a possibility and still a good challenge." If the Jets are not accepted to the NSW NPL or choose not to move, they will remain in the NNSW competition.

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