Newcastle Jets Head Coach Mark Milligan and defender Aleksander Šušnjar said that the team was excited ahead of the Hahn Australia Cup Final 2025 against Heidelberg at Lakeside Stadium in Melbourne this weekend.
The A-League team will be out for their first ever Hahn Australia Cup title after they defeated Avondale FC in the semi-final last month.
They are under no illusions of the task ahead of them, and both praised the work that their opponents have done in the Cup so far – but they are quietly confident of their own success.
Read more about the Jets pre-match media below.
The buzz in the squad
Milligan: [We are] extremely excited. It's been a long time since the club's been in this position. If you look back, probably only twice the club has had this opportunity in terms of winning trophies throughout the club's history. So for this young group to put this run together during pre-season, whilst taking on so much information, whilst taking on so much change, and whilst so many players are being integrated into the way that we do things - I'm extremely proud.
Šušnjar: Everyone's excited. It’s been a long preseason, and I think the boys have been doing well for the preseason. We showed it in our games. This Cup game is up for grabs, and it's a big game for both teams. Leading into the season, it's an important game for us. The boys have to take the 90 minutes through and take the cup home.
Preparation for the game
Milligan: Nothing changes for us. We’re still quite young in terms of what we want to do. We're really at the beginning. The most pleasing thing for me is that I've seen that development, that growth, every game that we've played, whether it's been in the Cup or whether it's been in the friendly matches that we've had. First and foremost, we know that we have to go and get our process right, and we have to continue to grow as a team. We know now as well, if we do that, that'll give us the best opportunity of winning the game.
Šušnjar: We will take it in as a normal game. Everyone’s buzzing, you can see that in the change rooms and on the training field. And I know that the boys will give 100% that night.
The threats of Heidelberg United
Milligan: They've been fantastic. They’ve scored quite a few goals, and knocked off A-League opposition. They're there because they deserve to be. We'll have a better look at them come Wednesday in the lead up to the game, as we do with all opposition that we play. Johnny A [Heidelberg United Head Coach] has done a fantastic job. It's there for all to see, not just in the Cup, but in the league as well. So it'll be a good challenge for us.
Šušnjar: They've knocked off the Wanderers, (Wellington Phoenix) and Auckland. They've got good attackers. They defend well. But I believe that the team we have, we can expose them in certain areas.
The enormity of a Cup final
Milligan: It's never easy to get to a final. In Australia, ultimately, we really have three cups or plates or trophies that we can win. So to be a part of the first one that's available is a nice reward for what they've done so far. It's things that stay with this group forever. It bonds a group. Football is very transitional, but if you have the opportunity to play and win a trophy, it's something that bonds that group for a lifetime.
Šušnjar: It means a lot. Any final means a lot, not just for me, but for the whole team - for the coaching staff, the players, for the people that are supporting us, for Newcastle itself. I know it's been X amount of years since they've lifted up a trophy. And to have a team like this and supporters like this, and the whole of Newcastle behind us, I believe that we can achieve something big.
Match Details
Heidelberg United v Newcastle Jets
Saturday, 4 October
Kick-off: 7:40pm AEST
Lakeside Stadium
Watch Live on 10, Paramount+, 10.com.au
GET TICKETS HERE
