The new inclusions are headlined by striker Matt Simon, who only recently completed his stay with NSW Winter Super League challengers, and official Mariners feeder club, Central Coast Lightning.

Simon was the lynchpin member of the Lightning’s campaign in the state’s second tier, and after 21 matches in 2007 netted ten goals to depart the NSW Winter Super League ranked fourth on the top goal scorers chart.

Joining Simon in the Mariners’ squad to face Glory is new signing and fellow Central Coast product Ian McAndrew, who only joined the playing roster yesterday.

Season one sensation Dean Heffernan rounds out the trio of new inclusions, with the 27-year-old’s groin strain showing significant improvement throughout the week to suggest he is capable of playing some part in securing the Mariners’ passage through to their third straight Pre-Season Cup final.

"We’ve been on the road the last two weeks and we’ve done a lot of traveling so it’s going to be nice coming back to Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium in front of a vocal Mariners crowd," said Mariners manager Lawrie McKinna.

"If you’re in it, try and win it, there’s no use coming out saying that it doesn’t matter about results – every game is an important step.

"We’ll be looking to win at the weekend, but obviously if there are boys carrying in injuries that are risky, we won’t play them.

"We’re focusing on the Hyundai A-League starting in three weeks time and that’s what our fitness program is aimed towards.

"We’re not training to win the Pre-Season Cup, we’re training to get the boys as sharp as possible for the first game of the A-League and if we can win the Pre-Season Cup on the way – brilliant."

Mariners’ opponents on Saturday, Perth Glory, are the only A-League team aside from newcomers the Wellington Phoenix to have never earned a point at Bluetongue Stadium.

The Glory have visited five times previously and have left with no points to show on every occasion, conceding ten goals and scored two.

Glory were Mariners’ opponents for the first ever Pre-Season Cup final – a match that was won by the Central Coast 1-0," said McKinna.

"Perth have been doing very well, it’ll be a hard game, they’ve had a great trip over to Malaysia where they did very well.

"And in the Pre-Season Cup they’ve been doing very well and they picked up a great scalp at the weekend by beating Melbourne.

"It’s going to be a hard game, we’ll just have to keep Jamie Harnwell under wraps – the big centre half that pops up front and scores goals.

"We’re looking forward to the game, there should be a good crowd there and it’s going to make a difference not having a five hour bus ride to the game."

Central Coast Mariners Squad

1. Matthew Trott (gk), 2. Matt Simon, 4. Ian McAndrew, 5. Bradley Porter, 6. Andre Gumprecht, 7. John Hutchinson, 8. Dean Heffernan, 9. Nik Mrdja, 10. Tom Pondeljak, 11. Damien Brown, 13. Tony Vidmar, 16. Nigel Boogaard, 17. Matthew Osman, 18. Alex Wilkinson, 19. Adam Kwasnik, 20. Danny Vukovic (gk), 22. Sasho Petrovski, 23. Mile Jedinak *three to be omitted