Just when you thought the F3 Derby rivalry couldn’t get any better, a unique situation is looming between Newcastle Jets and Central Coast Mariners.
At the start of the 2023-24 Liberty A-League season, the two rivals unveiled a trophy made from a piece of guard rail taken off the motorway that separates the two clubs, to play for in the competition.
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There is currently no holder of the women’s F3 Derby trophy, with the winner of this season’s best-of-two series to become the inaugural holder following Central Coast’s return to the league for the first time since 2009.
Only for this season, if both team’s win one match, it will then be awarded to the team with the best goal difference. If both teams have scored an equal number of goals, it will go to an away goals rule.
But now a penalty shootout could take place this weekend to decide who claims the iconic trophy as the Jets prepare to host the Mariners at the No.2 Sportsground on Sunday evening.
In the unique scenario agreed by the Jets and Mariners but has no relevance to the competition, a shootout will be needed to decide who takes home the trophy should the two teams finish level across both of their fixtures this campaign.
As the Jets won the opening fixture 1-0 this season, the only way penalties would be required was if Newcastle lost 1-0 at home to Central Coast this weekend.
“There is no doubt that the F3 Derby holds a special place in A-League folklore and now we get to bring that passion around the rivalry to life in the Women’s game,” Mariners CEO Shaun Mielekamp said at the start of the campaign.
“I’ll be honest, we were torn as to what the A-League Women’s F3 Derby (trophy) should look like and I want to thank (Jets executive chairman) Shane Mattiske and his team at the Jets for once again being passionate about working together to create something that, over time, will be very special for everyone at both clubs to compete for and celebrate.”
Jets executive chairman Shane Mattiske added: “The F3 Derby is one of the greatest rivalries in Australian sport… I know that the whole club is looking forward to bringing the trophy back to Newcastle at the end of this series.”
The creation of this trophy came one season after the inception of a similarly unique piece of “silverware” for both clubs to play off for in the Isuzu UTE A-League Men, after a concrete core drill sample of the motorway was dug up to form the centrepiece of the men’s trophy.
Central Coast are seventh in the Liberty A-League standings through 13 rounds – outside of the top six on goal difference and a point ahead of Newcastle.
