Roar Guru
The F3 derby is the A-League’s longest rivalry, going all the way back to the pre-season competition of the A-League’s inaugural season. Join us at 5pm AEDT for live scores and a blog as the Newcastle Jets host the Central Coast Mariners at Ausgrid Stadium this afternoon.
Today caps a week when the Jets welcomed back two old faces to the club: EPL striker Francis Jeffers, who had a short but productive stint with the Jets last season, and former championship coach Gary van Egmond.
Unfortunately for the home side, neither of them will be available this afternoon.
The Jets will be wishing that Jeffers was available after their problems in front of goal last weekend against a nine-man Phoenix, though Griffiths had a bit of a blinder in their win in the season open when the Jets got out of jail against the Heart.
The Mariners are without a win in their first two games, although one of those games was against Brisbane, and these days everyone loses against the Roar.
Key midfielders Mustafa Amini and Stuart Musialik remain unavailable, and captain Alex Wilkinson will also miss.
Neither team boasts an advantage in either the middle of the park or in the front third, so it would not be surprising to see both defences get on top of their respective opponents, with both teams boasting experienced defenders amongst their back four.
The Mariners have recent good form against the Jets, and with the much maligned Graham Arnold as their manager, they have someone capable of getting the team structures right as the game progresses in what is likely to be a tight game.
The Jets are expecting a big crowd for this one, but the home fans will have to settle for a draw today.
Will bad blood spill over at Ausgrid Stadium? Join us from 5.00pm AEDT for live scores and an interactive blog of all the action, and leave your opinion below.