F3 Derby
| Locale | Central Coast / Newcastle (Australia) |
|---|---|
| Teams | Central Coast Mariners & Newcastle Jets |
| First meeting | 7 May 2005 (Central Coast Mariners 0–0 Newcastle Jets) |
| Latest meeting | Central Coast Mariners 2–0 Newcastle Jets (9 April 2017) |
| Broadcasters | Fox Sports, SBS |
| Stadiums | Central Coast Stadium, Newcastle International Sports Centre |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 41 |
| Most wins | Central Coast Mariners (14 wins) |
| Most player appearances | John Hutchinson (31 appearances) |
| Top scorer | Matt Simon (7 goals) |
| Largest victory | Central Coast Mariners 4–1 and 3–0 on 3 occasions |
| Longest win streak |
|
The F3 Derby is a soccer 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 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 37 times in league and cup matches since 2005, of which Central Coast have won thirteen, Newcastle nine and thirteen 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.
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. 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.
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