Simon celebrated his first A-League goal in last week's 1-1 draw against Newcastle Jets, just hours after returning from the Olympics.

Petrovski is delighted for his fellow forward and expects him to be a marked man against John Kosmina's outfit at Bluetongue Stadium on Saturday night.

While that scenario poses a stern test for Simon, Petrovski hopes it can prove beneficial for the club's other goalscorers.

Petrovski, who netted the winner against Sydney FC in round one last season, said: "It's good (for Matt) and hopefully we can share the load and the goals around.

"It's good because hopefully defenders will focus on him and it frees up a bit of space for other people to sneak around and do their business."

The Mariners also go into the match with memories still fresh of a 3-0 Pre-Season Cup win over Sydney FC at the same venue - a match that marked Mark Bosnich's debut for the club.