The Junior Development League (JDL) is Football NSW’s elite program for players aged U9–U12. It sits above local grassroots football and is designed to give players the best possible development environment during their formative years.
JDL focuses on skill acquisition, technical ability, and learning to play within a structured, high-performance environment. At Sharks, our JDL players train multiple times a week with qualified coaches and compete against other leading clubs.
Because of Football NSW rules, JDL teams must select players who reside within the Sutherland Shire. This ensures that representative opportunities are provided to local players first.
JDL is the first formal step in the Sharks pathway, leading into our U13–U18 Youth teams and ultimately to senior football.