The defending A-League champions had a 1-1 draw with last season's strugglers Perth Glory on Saturday night in the opening Pre-Season Cup match at Mandurah.

Van Egmond said his side dominated the first half.

"In the first half we were all good, we've still got four to six players to add to that [squad], so that obviously gives us a lot more heart," van Egmond said.

"Obviously it gives the ones who played a feeling of contribution in regard to the fact they might get themselves into the 11, notwithstanding the guys we still have to come back.

"I think we were probably the better team overall, it's just a matter of us getting more fluent with our combinations."

The Jets started well, but it was the Glory who scored first after Jets midfielder Song Jin-hyung fouled Perth's latest signing Argentine Adrian Trinidad in the box.

Trinidad then sunk the penalty to have the home side leading after 12 minutes.

Jets goalkeeper Ante Covic blocked a shot from Glory midfielder Adriano Pellegrino soon after, before the Jets went back on the attack.

In the 36th minute Noel Spencer drew the game level when he scored off a corner that the Glory failed to clean up.

Van Egmond said his side controlled possession but lacked the killer punch to take the lead in the second half.

"We probably still lacked a bit of imagination in that last third, and a couple of decisions we made were probably wrong at the time," he said.

"That comes with having some younger players in that front third."

Striker Joel Griffiths was substituted in the 60th minute and he continues to improve.

"He's [Griffiths] still obviously underdone at this stage and it's important we don't push him too much, he'll get more game time again next weekend," van Egmond said.

Van Egmond said Tarek Elrich, Adam D'Apuzzo, Jobe Wheelhouse and Spencer were the standouts for the Jets.

Spencer suffered a slight calf twinge but is expected to be fit for the Jets' second pre-season match, against Adelaide United at Cessnock on Saturday.

Defenders Beau Busch and Antun Kovacic formed an untested partnership in central defence, and van Egmond said both were progressing well.

"Defensively we weren't too bad from the front," he said. "We made some schoolboy errors at the back at times, and against Perth Glory, when they're team is on, we may not have been so fortunate."

In other Pre-Season Cup results, Sydney FC beat Queensland Roar 2-1, Wellington downed Central Coast 1-0 and Adelaide defeated Melbourne 2-1.