EXECUTIVE chairman Shane Mattiske says the Newcastle Jets take the protection of all players "very seriously" after claims by two leading players of sexual abuse and grooming which have rocked the women's game in Australia.
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Matildas great Lisa De Vanna and former W-League teammate Rhali Dobson allege they have been the targets of same-sex sexual harassment and bullying during their careers.
Dobson, 29, was a member of the Jets' inaugural side in 2009, made 100 appearances in the W-league and and won two championships with Melbourne City before retiring in March to support her fiancé, Matt, who is battling brain cancer.
She also represented the Young Matildas and Matildas during a 13-year career.
"I know what it was like when I was younger, I didn't want to even have a shower after the game," she told News Corp. "I'd wait until I got back to my room. There were a couple of us young ones that were all in the same boat.
"A lot of it is pushed under the rug. It was a case of grooming when I first came on the scene because I was asked: 'Do I prefer boys or do you prefer girls?' I said I liked boys and remember just looking down at the ground and all the laughter and being told: 'We'll change that soon enough.'