Jets co-captain Gema Simon believes a return to No.2 Sportsground on Saturday can prove the catalyst for Newcastle's first win of the season.
Speaking at the inner-city venue on Thursday after City of Newcastle announced its continued support of the Jets women through a $20,000 club sponsorship, Simon told the Newcastle Herald playing at No.2 Sportsground always provided a boost.
In addition to its sponsorship, council has provided the facility as a permanent training base for Newcastle's W-League squad since the 2017-18 season.
Newcastle's first two home games this year - a 2-1 loss to Sydney in round three and 1-1 draw with Brisbane on Sunday - were both played at the much bigger McDonald Jones Stadium and Simon was excited to be back in action at their preferred ground.
"It's a really nice feeling to know that we can come and it's ours," Simon, a long-serving Jets player, said.
"Even just being able to leave our gear here. That's a massive thing for us and we didn't have that for a long time, so we're really grateful for the council to continually support us. It's just comfortable for us. This is our home ground. We train here every day and the atmosphere here is so much better. When we play at the stadium it's really big so everyone is really spread out.
"Here you have a couple of hundred and you really hear the crowd and they really get into game and it's really motivating. So we're really looking forward to playing here. It just feels like home and we want to make it hard for teams to come here and play."
The Jets host Western Sydney on Saturday afternoon and a win will propel the eighth-placed hosts ahead of the seventh-placed Wanderers. Newcastle lost 2-1 to Western Sydney in their first game of the season on January 2.
"The girls were really nervous; it was a first game for a lot of them," Simon said. "That's out of the way now and hopefully we've settled. Going off how we played last weekend, we were a lot more composed on the ball and, as long as we keep creating chances and we put a few away, we should be alright."
Newcastle lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said council's ongoing commitment to the city's W-League side helped "to keep local talent playing here in Newcastle and showing that professional pathway".
"The facilities we built here were deliberately with women in mind with the two sets of change rooms as well," councillor Nelmes said.
"If we can shine a light on women's sport and female athletes at that higher level then hopefully it will inspire the next generation."
"The women always say they love playing here and having them play here for all of these years actually formed part of our bid to get the 2023 Women's World Cup here in Newcastle.
