Both the Mariners and the Jets have struggled in recent times with both teams taking turns on the bottom of the A-League ladder after winning the wooden spoon. 

After a decade as a club coach, administrator and mayor, McKinna swapped the Central Coast for the Hunter when he became the Jets CEO.

The passion off the field has already been sparked when Central Coast CEO Shaun Mielekamp was upset at McKinna regarding comments he made in a FourFourTwo story on player and coaching changes at his former club.

However, it’s off the field that McKinna feels the hunger and desire of both teams needs to be expressed and that’s in the F3 derby.  

“I don’t think there has been a tackle made in the derby in the last four or five years,” he told FourFourTwo.

“We need to get back to that passion between the two teams and it’s important for the A-League that the regional teams like Central Coast and Newcastle are actually challenging and start being in the mix again because over the last few years we haven’t.

“I know we’re the smallest clubs but you don’t always want the smallest clubs at the bottom of the league.

"Leicester proved that and Wales proved it at the European Championships. It’s important that we re-engage the fans, get the passion on the field and off the field for the derby games.

“Me moving to Newcastle might help make that happen.”

After finishing bottom of the A-League ladder last season the Mariners woes continued when coach Tony Walmsley was sacked after being knocked out of the FFA Cup by Victorian NPL Club Green Gully.  

Since then Melbourne Knights coach Andrew Marth called the club an embarrassment, but even as a rival CEO, McKinna wants the club he coached to two Grand Final appearances get back to its former glory.

“Over the last few years I’ve not agreed with what the Mariners have done,” he said. “But that’s their choice they run their club.

"Even though I was a successful coach and a big part of the community they have to do what they think is right and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

“I want to see the Mariners being successful on the field because it’s good for the A-league, it’s good for the Newcastle/Mariners Derby when both the teams are competitive.

“The two clubs have done a deal where members from each club will get in free for the derby games which is fantastic, it’s the first time that has been done.

“We’ve got roughly 10,000 members, if they want to go to the Central Coast they get in for nothing. So it’s like extra games on their membership and I think it’s a great initiative done by the club and FFA before I came in.”