A-League Men champs set for new ACL Elite stage

With three trophies from last season locked away, the Central Coast Mariners head into their Asian Champions League Elite campaign believing they can mix it with Asia's best.

Last season, the Mariners claimed the A-League Men championship, premiership and the second-tier AFC Cup.

By finishing top of the ALM table, Mark Jackson's charges qualified for the new ACL Elite competition.

In the group stage of the 24-team competition - split initially into 12-team east and west groups - teams play eight games.

The Mariners kick off their campaign away against Shandong Taishan at Jinan Olympic Sports Centre on Tuesday night.

Central Coast will also play Thai club Buriram United, Kevin Muscat's Shanghai Port, Shanghai Shenhua, Vissel Kobe, Yokohama F. Marinos, Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) and Kawasaki Frontale.

"It's a really privileged position we're in, to be able to compete with some of Asia's best teams and we want to challenge ourselves all the time," Jackson said.

"We want to challenge ourselves against the best and this is the highest competition for us to compete in.

"So we're really looking forward to it. We know it's going to be a really big challenge. We had success last year travelling around Asia, we know we're competing against even bigger teams this year.

"So we'll prepare as best we can for that and show what we can do when we go and face these teams."

The Mariners travelled to China on Saturday to prepare for Tuesday night's fixture.

Jackson noted Shandong were a strong opponent who were right into their season, while adamant the Mariners could handle juggling their ACL campaign with their ALM title defence.

The Mariners, skippered by former Socceroos stalwart Trent Sainsbury, aren't the only Australians in the competition.

Prominent Australian manager and former Socceroos defender Muscat will lead Shanghai Port.

Former Mariners player John Hutchinson is the interim coach at Yokohama F. Marinos after Harry Kewell was sacked.

Former Melbourne City stalwart Curtis Good is at Thai outfit Buriram alongside ex-Socceroos midfielder Kenny Dougall.

Ex-Perth Glory defender Shane Lowry plays for JDT, former Macarthur centre-back Jonathan Aspropotamitis is part of Pohang Steelers' squad, while former Sydney FC defender Aaron Calver is a Gwangju FC custodian.

Sydney FC will play in the ACL2 competition, with their campaign starting with a home game against Eastern Sports Club at Jubilee Stadium on Thursday.