F3 Derby

The F3 Derby is an association football rivalry between Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets. It is the longest standing derby in the A-League. The rivalry originated due to the team's relative geographical proximity, with the Mariners located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, the Jets in Newcastle, immediately to the north. The two clubs were also the only two clubs from outside capital cities in the inaugural A-League seasons, which contributed to the rivalry.

The F3 Derby
LocaleCentral Coast / Newcastle (Australia)
TeamsCentral Coast Mariners
Newcastle Jets
First meetingCentral Coast Mariners 0–0 Newcastle Jets
(7 May 2005)
Latest meetingCentral Coast Mariners 1–0 Newcastle Jets
(31 December 2020)
Next meetingNewcastle Jets v Central Coast Mariners
(14 February 2021)
BroadcastersFox Sports, ABC
StadiumsCentral Coast Stadium, Newcastle International Sports Centre
Statistics
Meetings total53
Most winsNewcastle Jets
(17 wins)
Most player appearancesJohn Hutchinson
(31 appearances)
Top scorerMatt Simon (8 goals)
Largest victoryCentral Coast Mariners 2–8 Newcastle Jets
(14 April 2018)

The teams first met in the Australian qualifying tournament for the 2005 OFC Club Championship, in what was the Mariners' first ever competitive game (the Jets having formed five years prior). Both sides have played in all eleven seasons of the A-League, and the teams also met on occasion in the now-defunct A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup. The rivalry was particularly strong in the 2007–08 A-League, where the teams occupied the top two positions in both the A-League regular season and its finals series. The teams have played a total of 53 times in league and cup matches since 2005, of which Central Coast have won 17, Newcastle 17 and 19 have been drawn.

The derby is named after the former name of the Pacific Motorway, which connects the two clubs. The name has been retained despite the Motorway now being officially known as the M1.

History of the rivalry

Early meetings

In November 2004, the clubs to participate in the newly formed A-League competition were announced by Football Federation Australia. They included former National Soccer League club Newcastle Jets (previously known as Newcastle United) and Central Coast Mariners, the only regional club included in the new tournament.[1] With no more than one club in any city in the inaugural competition, the F3 derby was the only local rivalry in the inaugural seasons of the A-League.[2]

The teams first met in a qualification match for the 2005 OFC Club Championship. The Mariners won the match in a penalty shootout, after the game finished scoreless.[3] The rivalry quickly became heated when the Mariners' Nik Mrdja broke Newcastle defender Andrew Durante's leg in a tackle late in the match.[4]

Top of the league: 2007–08

In the 2007–08 A-League, both teams had very strong seasons. The Mariners won their first A-League Premiership on goal difference from the Jets after winning on the final weekend of the competition.[5] As a result, the Mariners were drawn against the Jets in the major semi-final – the winner over two legs to progress to the 2008 A-League Grand Final, the loser to play in the preliminary final in order to qualify for the Grand Final. In the first match, goals from Adam and Joel Griffiths gave the Jets a two-goal lead, the Mariners held scoreless after a missed penalty from striker John Aloisi.[6] However, the Mariners turned the tie around in the second leg, winning 3–0 in extra time led by two goals from Sasho Petrovski to qualify for the Grand Final.[7] Nonetheless, Newcastle qualified for the Final a week later, beating Adelaide United to ensure that the 2008 A-League Grand Final would be an F3 derby.[8]

The 2008 A-League Grand Final was held at the Sydney Football Stadium, despite the Mariners having earned the right to host the game, due to the ground's higher seating capacity than Central Coast Stadium.[9] The Jets took the lead midway through the second half, with Mark Bridge scoring after capitalising on an error from Mariners defender Tony Vidmar, playing his final game before retirement. There was significant controversy with only minutes remaining when Newcastle midfielder James Holland made contact with his arm on the ball in his own penalty area. Despite appeals from Mariners players, referee Mark Shield did not award a penalty kick and Newcastle held on to win the match, winning their first A-League Championship.[10] In the aftermath of this decision, Mariners goalkeeper Danny Vukovic struck Shield on the arm, and was shown a red card for his actions. He was subsequently suspended for multiple months, and, despite an initially successful appeal, not permitted to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics.[11] The attendance of 36,354 remains the Mariners highest home crowd of all time.[12]

In 2013, the F3 was renamed as the M1, however, the derby is still officially referred to as the F3 derby.[13]

Records and statistics
As of 31 December 2020

By competition
Competition Played Mariners wins Drawn Jets wins Mariners goals Jets goals
A-League 511618176262
Oceania Club Championship qualifiers 101000
Pre-Season Cup 110021
Total531719176463

This table only includes competitive first-team games, excluding all pre-season games and friendlies.

Full list of results
Score lists home team first.[14][15]
DateScoreWinnerCompetitionVenueAttendanceNotes
7 May 20050–0DrawOceania Club Championship qualificationCentral Coast Stadium9,809Quarter-final match. First competitive game. Mariners won 4–2 in a penalty shootout.
4 September 20051–1DrawA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium5,917First A-League game between the teams.
23 October 20051–0JetsA-LeagueHunter Stadium9,371
31 December 20054–1MarinersA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium11,612
10 February 20060–1MarinersA-League finals seriesHunter Stadium10,236Minor semi-final, first leg. First A-League finals game between the teams.
17 February 20061–1DrawA-League finals seriesCentral Coast Stadium17,429Minor semi-final, second leg. Mariners advance 2–1 on aggregate.
12 August 20062–1AETMarinersA-League Pre-Season Challenge CupCentral Coast Stadium7,567Semi-final.
23 September 20061–1DrawA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium8,439
12 November 20063–1JetsA-LeagueHunter Stadium14,026
5 January 20071–0JetsA-LeagueHunter Stadium14,828
7 October 20071–1DrawA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium12,622
25 November 20070–0DrawA-LeagueHunter Stadium14,169
12 January 20081–2JetsA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium19,238
27 January 20082–0JetsA-League finals seriesHunter Stadium22,960Major semi-final, first leg
10 February 20083–0AETMarinersA-League finals seriesCentral Coast Stadium19,112Major semi-final, second leg. Mariners advance 3–2 on aggregate.
24 February 20080–1JetsA-League finals seriesSydney Football Stadium36,354Grand Final. Highest attendance recorded in the fixture.
15 August 20081–1DrawA-LeagueHunter Stadium16,022
24 October 20081–0MarinersA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium10,710
26 December 20081–2MarinersA-LeagueHunter Stadium11,413
14 August 20091–1DrawA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium9,573
23 October 20092–1JetsA-LeagueHunter Stadium6,188
8 February 20103–0MarinersA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium5,842Lowest attendance recorded in the fixture.
24 November 20101–1DrawA-LeagueHunter Stadium7,730
16 January 20110–2MarinersA-LeagueHunter Stadium13,463
13 February 20111–0MarinersA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium9,975
23 October 20111–0JetsA-LeagueHunter Stadium14,421
10 December 20112–0MarinersA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium10,643
14 January 20121–1DrawA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium10,904
20 October 20122–1JetsA-LeagueHunter Stadium15,289
8 December 20120–2MarinersA-LeagueHunter Stadium13,112
19 January 20130–0DrawA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium11,249
2 November 20132–2DrawA-LeagueHunter Stadium13,744
25 January 20143–0MarinersA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium10,920
15 March 20143–1MarinersA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium7,455
11 October 20141–0MarinersA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium10,443
30 November 20141–1DrawA-LeagueHunter Stadium11,031John Hutchinson made his thirty-first derby appearance for Central Coast, a record.
28 February 20150–0DrawA-LeagueHunter Stadium7,991
14 November 20151–1DrawA-LeagueHunter Stadium9,422
28 February 20160–1JetsA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium7,528
9 April 20162–4JetsA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium7,355
20 November 20161–1DrawA-LeagueMcDonald Jones Stadium11,238
25 February 20171–1DrawA-LeagueMcDonald Jones Stadium9,423
9 April 20172–0MarinersA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium8,073
7 October 20171–5JetsA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium12,044
9 January 20182–0JetsA-LeagueMcDonald Jones Stadium13,127
14 April 20182–8JetsA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium7,604Biggest win in F3 Derby history.

Highest scoring A-League game in history. Newcastle Jets became the first side to win all 3 games of the rivalry in the normal season

23 December 20181-2JetsA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium8,923Matt Simon scored his eighth derby goal for Central Coast, a record.
23 January 2019 1-0 Jets A-League McDonald Jones Stadium 9,466
16 March 20192–3MarinersA-LeagueMcDonald Jones Stadium8,173
19 October 20191–1DrawA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium8,910
9 February 20204–3JetsA-LeagueMcDonald Jones Stadium4,151
24 July 20200–0DrawA-LeagueCentral Coast Stadium2,373Restricted number of spectators due to COVID-19 pandemic.
31 December 20201–0MarinersA-LeagueCentral Coast StadiumRestricted number of spectators due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Statistics
Matt Simon has scored a record eight goals in F3 derbies

Results
  • Most consecutive wins: 5, Newcastle Jets (7 October 2017 – 23 January 2019)
  • Longest undefeated run: 9, Central Coast Mariners (8 December 2012 – 14 November 2015)
  • Most consecutive draws: 3, (30 November 2014 – 14 November 2015)
  • Most consecutive games without a draw: 7, (7 October 2017 – 16 March 2019)
  • Most games played against each other in a season: 6 (twice), 2005–06, 2007–08
  • Record highest attendance: 36,354. 24 February 2008, Sydney Football Stadium. Central Coast Mariners 0–1 Newcastle Jets
  • Record lowest attendance: 2,373. 24 July 2020, Central Coast Stadium. Central Coast Mariners 0–0 Newcastle Jets (restricted number of spectators due to COVID-19 pandemic).
  • Record appearance-maker: John Hutchinson (31), Central Coast Mariners. Played his first on 7 May 2005 and his thirty-first on 30 November 2014.
  • Record goal scorer: Matt Simon (8), Central Coast Mariners. Scored his first on 15 August 2008 and his eighth on 23 December 2018.

Crossing the divide

Managers and coaches

No manager has managed both clubs, however, there have been some staff members to be involved with both clubs. Wayne O'Sullivan played for Central Coast from 2005 to 2007.[16] In 2009, O'Sullivan became coach of Newcastle's women's team.[17] In 2014, he returned to the Mariners as an assistant to head coach Phil Moss.[18] Damien Brown played for Newcastle in the National Soccer League before playing for the Mariners and later moving into an off-field role.[19] Jess Vanstrattan played for the Mariners before becoming goalkeeping coach at the Central Coast Mariners Academy, later joining the Jets in 2015 as a goalkeeping coach and occasional reserve goalkeeper.[20]

Players

Players who have played for both teams:

Player Central Coast career Newcastle career
Span League
apps		 League
goals		 Span League
apps		 League
goals
Noel Spencer 2005–2007 41 6 2007–2008 23 0
Sasho Petrovski 2007–2009 39 13 2009–2011 45 8
Troy Hearfield 2011–2012 31 2 2007–2008 13 0
Liam Reddy 2013–2015 52 0 2005–2006 23 0
Sam Gallagher 2012 1 0 2014–2015 19 0
Marcos Flores 2013 12 3 2014 6 1
Ben Kennedy 2017–2019 45 0 2006–2015 112 0
Matthew Nash 2014–2015 2 0 2010–2012 13 0
Mario Shabow 2018–2019 11 1 2017–2018 7 0
Jake Adelson 2015 2 0 2019 1 0
Matthew Millar 2018–2019 24 1 2019– 22 4

See also

References
  1. "New national soccer league launched". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 November 2004. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  2. Lynch, Michael (21 December 2013). "The best of A-League local rivalries". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  3. "Central Coast Mariners 0–0 Newcastle Jets (Penalties: 4–2) (Oceania Champions League Qualification)". aleaguestats.com. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  4. Cockerill, Michael (9 May 2005). "A-League's new order hits the spot, but fans take time to catch on". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  5. "Weekend Wrap – Mariners are Premiers". 21 January 2008. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  6. "Griffiths brothers seal Jets win". Football Federation Samoa. 28 January 2001. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  7. Prichard, Greg (11 February 2008). "Mariners silence the doubters". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  8. Henderson, Philip (17 February 2008). "Jets soar into grand final". Fox Sports. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  9. "A-League Grand Final at SFS". Fox Sports. 12 February 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  10. Prichard, Greg (25 February 2008). "Defensive error gives Jets the goal and the Victory". The Age. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  11. Hasset, Sebastian (11 June 2008). "Shock as FIFA ends Vukovic's Olympics". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  12. "Central Coast Mariners". ALeagueStats.com. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  13. Connell, Tim (24 January 2014). "It's still the F3 Derby". The Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  14. "Central Coast Mariners complete fixture list". ALeagueStats.com. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  15. "Newcastle Jets complete fixture list". ALeagueStats.com. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  16. "Wayne O`Sullivan". ALeagueStats.com. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  17. "Wayne O'Sullivan back in charge of W-League Jets". The Newcastle Herald. 19 June 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  18. "Sully signs on for Coast". Football Federation Australia. 21 November 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  19. "2013 Damien Brown Medal announced Saturday". Central Coast Mariners FC. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  20. "Jess Vanstrattan joins Jets". Newcastle Jets FC. 4 February 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
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