Coast Mariners The Central Coast Mariners are likely to introduce a host of new faces at EnergyAustralia Stadium tomorrow night, with a cast of Australia’s most exciting emerging talents set to spearhead the Mariners’ quest for opening day derby success.

With as many as five players unavailable for tomorrow’s 2008 Hyundai A-League Grand Final replay, the Mariners will look to the likes of Pedj Bojic, Adrian Caceres, David D’Apuzzo and Ahmad Elrich – all uncapped in the Hyundai A-League for the Mariners, to carry the hopes of the Central Coast against their northern rivals.

Though the Mariners’ absentees list is extensive and cannot be overstated, with the likes of Qantas Socceroo Mile Jedinak and season three regulars Nigel Boogaard, Andre Gumprecht and Greg Owens unavailable for selection, the Mariners will be represented by a youthful and electrifying line up.

New signings Bojic, Caceres, D’Apuzzo and Elrich headline the Mariners’ most youthful outfit in recent memory, which includes ten restricted age or senior Australian internationals.

With experienced foundation players Andrew Clark, John Hutchinson, Nik Mrdja, Matthew Osman, Danny Vukovic and Alex Wilkinson leading the charge, who between them have accumulated 375 competitive caps in Mariners colours, the yellow and navy will travel to the Hunter tomorrow with a formidable line up capable of claiming what would be a famous F3 victory.

"We’ve been training since May and we’ve had a lot of games, which is great, with a lot of great performances and overall it’s been a good pre-season," said Mariners Football Manager Lawrie McKinna.

"To open up the Hyundai A-League season, against Newcastle, away from home – it doesn’t get any harder or any better than that, we’re looking forward to a great atmosphere with a great traveling support for the Mariners."

The Hyundai A-League 2008/09 Premiership could well be decided at EnergyAustralia Stadium tomorrow night, should Hyundai A-League history be anything to go by.

Interestingly, every team that has won the opening match of the new season has gone on to win the Hyundai A-League Premiership.

In the inaugural Hyundai A-League season, the opening match of the campaign saw Adelaide United defeat the Newcastle Jets at EnergyAustralia Stadium 1-0, before going on to claim the major prize of the home and away season.

Adelaide was again featured in the opening match of season two, which they lost 2-0 away to the Melbourne Victory, who would ultimately be crowned Premiers some five months later.

In accordance with this trend, the Mariners, reigning Hyundai A-League Premiers, were opening day victors in 2007/08 when downing southern rivals Sydney FC 1-0 at the Sydney Football Stadium.

Tomorrow night, the Hyundai A-League’s fiercest rivalry will be showcased in an official competitive fixture for the 17th time – the most times any two Hyundai A-League rivals have opposed each other in three years since the beginning of the new era of Australian football.

Although the Mariners’ Bluetongue Stadium home is geographically closer to the Sydney Football Stadium – the home of southern rivals Sydney FC, the yellow and navy’s short sojourn north to EnergyAustralia Stadium is commonly regarded as the Mariners’ most keenly contested local rivalry.

It is the Jets that are currently able to boast the better record in matches between the two sides, having recorded six wins and five draws against the Mariners and suffering five losses in such time, two of which have been after regulation time.

Indeed, the Mariners have only defeated the Jets in a regular season Hyundai A-League fixture on one occasion from nine attempts – that being on New Year’s Eve in 2005 at Bluetongue Stadium.

In 16 previous match ups, both the Mariners and the Jets have netted 16 goals, with Hutchinson of the Mariners and Joel Griffiths of the Jets responsible for more derby goals than any other players – three each for their respective clubs.

"We could probably turn up on Friday and not say anything to the players – just put the eleven on the park and everything else will take over, the boys will switch on as there is definitely an edge when it comes to games against the Jets," said McKinna.

"Away from home, going up there and getting a draw would be a good result, but we’ll be going up there to try and win, but if we come away with a point, or three – fantastic."