NEWCASTLE Jets duo Carl Jenkinson and Callum Timmins are excited to hit the road and are hoping for a huge crowd at Comm Bank Stadium for the clash against fellow unbeaten side Western Sydney.
Wanderers boast the most parochial and passionate fans in the competition. Games at Comm Bank Stadium have an atmosphere similar to big games in Europe, with the active supporters group leading chants and banging drums.
Crowd numbers have increased for the opening two games and more than 10,000 are expected through the turnstiles on Friday night.
"The boys want to play in games where there are a lot of fans and a good atmosphere," said Jenkinson who regularly played in front of a full house of 60,000 during four seasons at Arsenal.
"That is what gets you out of bed. No one wants to play in a stadium that is half empty. Whether you are at home or away, when you have bums on seats and you have a good atmosphere, that is what the boys want to play in front of.
"I enjoy playing in those stadiums where they are against you. It gives you a bit of an edge and gets you fired up even more."
After their season-opener against Central Coast in Gosford was washed out, the Jets have launched their season with consecutive wins over Perth (2-1) and Wellington (3-1).
A new-look Wanderers roster, headed by Johnny Warren medal winner Milos Ninkovic and championship-winning goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas, have been equally impressive, beating Perth and Melbourne Victory 1-0 before a 1-all draw with Brisbane.
"With the group of lads we have, we all stick together and I think we will thrive in that atmosphere," Timmins said. "It is exciting. These are the games you want to be playing in and want to be winning.
"They are unbeaten as well but there is a lot of belief in our team. The staff and the players know what we can achieve this year. We will go in with high hopes."
After Wanderers, the Jets are away to Melbourne Victory before finishing the pre-World Cup block at home against Melbourne City.
The Jets announced on Tuesday that the club will take an A-League women's game to Tamworth and the men's squad will play an exhibition game against Melbourne City as part of a festival of football on Saturday November 26.
The Jets women will play their round-two match against Western Sydney at Scully Park, kicking off at 3pm, which will be followed by the men's match.
"The Jets proudly represent all of the north of NSW, and we know that there are many fans of football and a huge number of participants in the northern inland region," Jets executive chairman Shane Mattiske said. "Our A-League women's team is about to launch their 2022/23 campaign and I know they are excited to be playing their first ever competition game in Tamworth. This is a great opportunity to bring top-flight women's football to the region and to inspire young players."
Meanwhile, Adelaide United striker Hiroshi Ibusuki's controversial red card against Sydney FC has been rescinded as an "obvious error" leaving him free to face Perth Glory.
With Adelaide leading Sydney 1-0, Ibusuki was shown a straight red for fouling Anthony Caceres as he slid for the ball in the 40th minute of Sunday's A-League Men game at Allianz Stadium.
Closer inspection showed only minor contact with Caceres' foot but the video assistant referee upheld the on-field ruling and the Reds were reduced to 10 men with more than half the game left to play.
Sydney took a 2-1 lead and while Adelaide fought back to draw 2-2, they were clearly hindered by their numerical disadvantage.
Football Australia's independent match review panel (MRP) of Simon Micallef (chairman), Con Diomis, and Alan Davidson assessed the incident on Monday, with Adelaide contending the red card was an obvious error.
"The MRP held that no direct red card was warranted in the circumstances and the other matters required by the regulations were satisfied," Football Australia said in a statement.
"Therefore, the application was accepted, as there was an obvious error in the issuing of the red card.
"Having accepted the application, the MRP has determined that Ibusuki would not be required to serve the mandatory match suspension, will face no further action for the incident, and will have the red card rescinded and removed from his record."
The decision means Ibusuki remains eligible for the Johnny Warren Medal for the competition's best player, as well as making him available for Sunday's clash with the Glory.
Players who receive straight red cards during the course of the season are ruled out of the voting.
The A-Leagues warned coaches in the pre-season referees would take a dim view of tackles where a player's studs made contact with their rivals.
In the MRP statement, referees boss Nathan Magill said officials would continue to home in on the three main focuses established in pre-season: "player safety, maximising ball in play, and enhancing the image of the game".
