With plenty of family-friendly timeslots and blockbuster clashes now locked in, we take a look at a few unmissable fixtures in more detail.
ALM – Key Home Matchups
Our first home game of the season comes with an early test against last year’s finalists, The Western Sydney Wanderers. The Wanders finished the 2022/23 regular season in 4th place, only 3 points behind eventual champions the Mariners.
A mix of experience and youth will be on show, with former Lyon defender Marcelo and Arsenal product Carl Jenkinson shoring up the back for their respective clubs. Former Wanderer Daniel Wilmering could make his first appearance against his old club, and local product Jacob Dowse is a chance for his first appearance as a Jet at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Encounters with the Wanderers have historically been tight affairs. In the 30 games played against the Wanderers, the Jets have registered 9 wins, 10 matches have resulted in draws and 11 have been won by the Wanderers. Over half of those matches have seen 3 or more goals scored, with both teams scoring an even 42 goals each over their history.
With a prime timeslot for catching the game live at 3pm, Saturday the 5th of November, and our kids under 13 go free promotion* available for the season, our home opener is set to be a big one!
The 2023/24 Edition of our Fiercest Rivalry
Round 5
Newcastle Jets v Central Coast Mariners
McDonald Jones Stadium
Saturday November 25
Kick Off: 5:30pm
The F3 Derby kicks off for season 2023/24 at McDonald Jones Stadium against the defending champions, the Central Coast Mariners.
The biggest fixtures in the calendar for both sides, the F3 Derby regularly churns out dramatic results, strong attendances, and electric atmospheres. The Jets started the 2022/23 edition strongly with a huge away win on the Central Coast, but the eventual champions fought back to lift the inaugural F3 Derby Trophy by seasons end.
The Mariners’ new look squad could be vulnerable following several departures from the side that won the Grand Final 6-1 against Melbourne City in June, including Cult Hero Jason Cummings and former Jet Sam Silvera.
Former Mariner and Central Coast junior Trent Buhagiar will be looking to add to his goal scoring tally in 2023/24 after netting two goals in the Australia Cup, whilst new addition to the Jets and product of the Mariners academy Lachlan Bayliss will surely have a point to prove after he was overlooked for selection to the first team during the Mariners successful 2022/23 campaign.
Thurgate and Penha Return to McDonald Jones Stadium
Round 10
Newcastle Jets v Western United FC
Saturday December 30
Kick Off: 5:30pm
Round 10’s fixture against a much-changed Western United side at McDonald Jones Stadium will ask questions about how well the newly combined team gel, as they face our Jets midway through the season.
Former Jets Angus Thurgate and Daniel Penha will make their first appearances in enemy colours at McDonald Jones Stadium, so expect some feeling when these two sides meet. With only 3 points separating the teams on the ladder at the end of the 2022/23 season, this match shapes as a see-sawing affair.
United will present as a vastly different side to the one who missed the finals last season with over 12 players from that squad no longer on their books, including veterans Topor-Stanley, Leo Lacroix and Jamie Young. Much like the Jets, the club will now be looking at their younger players to make a serious impact moving forward.
Our history against Western United has been close and low scoring – 8 out of the 10 previous encounters have ended under 2 goals as the games remain undecided late into the 90 minutes.
The Derby Trophy Decided on Home Soil
Round 26
Newcastle Jets v Central Coast Mariners
McDonald Jones Stadium
Saturday April 27
Kick Off: TBC
The third and final meeting between the Jets and Mariners for season 2023/24 takes place in the final round, on home soil.
Both sides will hope to be in finals contention and vying for ladder position – and a passionate home crowd could be the difference in the result.
