He was born in Sydney and raised in Darwin, but Newcastle Jets star Lachlan Bayliss is proud to be honouring his late father by representing New Zealand on the world stage.
Bayliss has been a key factor in the Jets’ rise from A-League battlers to a club that could clinch the premiership this weekend.
With two rounds of the regular season remaining, first-placed Newcastle is three points ahead of closest rivals Auckland.
Should the Jets beat Melbourne Victory on Friday night at AAMI Park, Auckland would have to win at home on Sunday against Central Coast Mariners to have any chance of pipping Newcastle for the Premier’s Plate the following weekend.
“We just want to stick to our processes because if we do that, the results will take care of themselves.” said Bayliss, who said winning the Australia Cup in October had given the Jets “a lot of confidence”.
“It was a tough competition and it gave as great belief that we are a good team, and that we can get results.
“When we pass and move like we have in some of the games this season, we’re pretty unstoppable.”
However, while Auckland is the enemy, Bayliss has different feelings about another Kiwi side – the New Zealand national team.
Bayliss made his debut for the All Whites last month and has rocketed into FIFA World Cup selection contention.
“It was pretty unbelievable. I couldn’t have dreamt of a better moment,” the 23-year-old midfielder said in reflecting on making his maiden New Zealand senior appearance in a FIFA Series game in Auckland against Finland, which was followed by another appearance against Chile.
“I had my family fly over. To be able to share that with them and have them in attendance, it was really a dream come true.”
Bayliss said pledging his international allegiance to the Kiwis over Australia was an “easy decision” as it paid tribute to his late New Zealand-born father Andrew.
“I wanted to represent them in my dad’s memory. He loved football. He lived and breathed it,” he said.
“It’s pretty special for me to be able to play for his country and the place where he grew up.”
Playing at this year’s World Cup would also be special for Bayliss, but his immediate focus is Newcastle’s quest for the A-League premiership and championship.
“The possibility to play at the World Cup is definitely a dream, but there’s still a month and a bit left in the season (including finals), and if I really focus on that, the possibilities are endless,” he said.
And with speculation that a host of players in the current Jets team could be on the move at the end of the season, Bayliss and his teammates are desperate to finish their 2025-26 campaign on the high of more silverware.
“There is high turnover in the league each year, so it’s pretty hard to keep one squad together for a long period of time, especially when you have success,” he said.
“We don’t know who’s going to be here next season.”
