The close nature of the F3 Derby is one of the many reasons that it continues to captivate the Australian footballing community.
After 57 A-League men’s matches, the results have been about as evenly split as a neutral could ask for. The Mariners currently hold the lead with 20 wins, with the Jets narrowly behind with 19 victories. There have been eighteen draws along the way as well.
As announced before our first game of this season, the rivalry is now represented through the F3 Derby trophy. Created by taking a core sample from the M1 Motorway, formerly known as the F3, the core is awarded to the superior team at the time, given annually to whoever wins the best out of three series.
In the event that the series is split with equal points, the trophy will be retained by the current holders. With the Jets coming out on top in our first clash of the season under two weeks ago, they are just three points away tonight from claiming the trophy.
Looking back on the results of series throughout the rivalry, it is just as even as the individual match results. The Mariners have come out on top in seven of the series, the most recent being last season when we claimed our first ever clean sweep.
The Newcastle Jets have won the trophy outright on six occasions, their last in the 2019/20 season.
There have also been four seasons where a winner could not be crowded, the most recent occasion of this being the 2012/13 season. Since then, there has been outright winners in every series.
The Jets and Mariners have both come away with just a solo clean sweep. The 2017/18 season saw the Jets win all three matches, while last year the Mariners won every match.
Be at Industree Group Stadium tonight to see the F3 Derby Live! Get your tickets here!
