Words: Michael Flynn

FNQ FC Heat have confirmed a raft of further signings ahead of the PlayStation® 4 NPL Queensland 2015 season.

Josh Jennison, Ethan Docherty, Cameron Nucifora and Jamie Gosling will all return for the upcoming season, while Heat Academy product Jason Haydon has also been promoted to the Senior Men’s squad.

The announcements follow previous confirmations of high-profile returnees Jamie Carroll, Tamas Maffey-Stumpe and Alex Smith - lifting the number of confirmed signings to eight ahead of a full squad announcement expected in coming days.

Heat coach Martin Docherty said the squad he has assembled will once again prove competitive this season following a break-out 2014 that saw Heat finish second in the league and qualify for the Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32.

“If I set the goal for us to win the Premiership then I suppose I am putting a target on my back,” Docherty said.

“I’m fully aware that every club down in the Brisbane will be stronger than they were last year, and we won’t be because obviously we have lost a number of players.”

“But, that being said, we’re going to be just as competitive this year as we were last year and where that takes us we will wait and see,” he concluded.

Despite all three being under the age of 21, Jennison, Docherty and Nucifora boast a surprising amount of experience at PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland level.

The trio were all part of Heat’s first season in 2013, and now boast a combined 90 appearances for the club.

Docherty, 18, was also nominee for the PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland Supporter 2014 Team of the Year, scoring twice in 20 appearances in 2014 playing at fullback as well as midfield.

2015 will be 32-year-old Englishman Gosling’s second season at the club, after scoring five goals in 15 appearances last year.

He previously played with Yoevil Town in England and was recruited to Heat from Cairns community club Douglas United.