AFC Toronto’s Jade Kovacevic, the NSL’s first signing, announces her retirement

AFC Toronto forward Jade Kovacevic will be the first player signed by the fledgling Northern Super League. Kovacevic is seen in uniform for the North Toronto Nitros in League1 Ontario Women’s Premier division against Woodbridge in Toronto in a Wednesday, July 10, 2024, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Martin Bazyl, *MANDATORY CREDIT*

TORONTO — AFC Toronto forward Jade Kovacevic, the first player signing announced by the Northern Super League, is calling time on her professional career.

The 31-year-old from Acton, Ont., played professionally in Hungary and Italy before returning home to star in League1 Ontario and then sign with her hometown club.

Kovacevic called the decision to retire emotional and bittersweet. But after an injury-interrupted inaugural season with Toronto, she felt the time was right to move on.

“Life obviously throws a little bit of curveballs at you,” she said Thursday. “There’s some other things that are transpiring for me in my life that I want to be able to focus on. Being an athlete at that level, it consumes you in all parts of your life.”

Kovacevic runs her own coaching business, named J9 Training. She is also looking forward to time with her family and travelling with her partner.

“I’m just excited to spend some time outside of the game a little bit and develop that side of my life some more,” she said.

Kovacevic, who signed with Toronto on Oct. 20, 2024, missed the first six games of the NSL season after fracturing her fibula in a pre-season game. The injury was missed on “multiple tests,” so she kept training until it was detected in April.

“Not having a pre-season was quite tough, obviously (playing) catch-up to everybody,” she said. “It was just kind of clawing back at that spot that I know I can be, kind of all year.”

She made her debut off the bench on June 7 against Ottawa and went on to make 16 appearances, including three starts, contributing one goal and two assists.

“Jade’s professionalism and standards helped build the foundation we stand on today,” head coach Marko Milanovic said in a statement. “Even when she was battling back from injury, she was a leader in the locker room — setting an example for what it means to be a pro. Our club and this league are better because of her.”

Billy Wilson, Toronto’s sporting director, said Kovacevic played her part in building the new league.

“Jade believed in this project before anything existed on the field,” he said. “She helped lay the groundwork for what AFC Toronto has already achieved and what it will become. Her legacy lives in every young player who can now chase their dreams in Canada.”

Kovacevic, who was on the bench for Toronto’s 2-1 championship game loss to Vancouver on Nov. 15 at BMO Field, said she finally felt in form at the end of the season. But cracking a Toronto lineup on a roll with Kaylee Hunter and Esther Okoronkwo leading the attack was difficult.

There are plenty of good memories, too. Helping grow a domestic women’s league, playing before family and friends and opening her NSL scoring account in a 7-0 romp over visiting Vancouver on Sept. 13 top the list.

“It was amazing to see how many people were in the stands cheering us on,” Kovacevic said.

“To be able to impact the game on that scale, I’m really grateful for that,” she added.

Kovacevic holds the all-time scoring record in League1 Ontario with more than 170 goals, earning five Golden Boot awards and four MVP crowns. Her League1 Ontario resume includes stints with FC London (twice), Vaughan Azzurri and, most recently, the North Toronto Nitros, where she doubled as coach of the club’s League1 reserves and League 2 program.

Born in Hamilton, Kovacevic spent 10 years in Flamboro before moving to Acton. She also played youth soccer in Georgetown and Oakville before joining the Toronto Lady Lynx.

Kovacevic spent one season at LSU where she was named to the 2012 SEC All-Freshman Team and made Second-Team All-SEC. But wanting to be closer to home, she left for Fanshawe College in London, Ont., finding both the school’s business and soccer programs more to her liking.

She had two stints on the Falcons soccer team, returning to do an advanced diploma after studying business marketing. In between, in 2019, she spent half a season playing for Roma CF in the Italian second division.

But financially, it was not enough to support her. She had run into the same problem in an earlier three-month stint in Hungary in 2017 with ETO FC Gyor.

Back home in Ontario, she settled in London, where she started her coaching company during the pandemic. She also coached FC London’s youth sides while playing for the club.

Kovacevic represented Canada at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2010 and the U-20 World Cup in 2012.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2025

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press