It's been less than a month since the Wollongong Wolves season ended in disappointing fashion.
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A 3-1 loss to rivals Sydney United 58 saw the side fall short of the grand final, coach Luke Wilkshire spending the past four weeks working out what went wrong.
Naturally there wasn't one sole factor, instead a variety of reasons combining to derail Wollongong's season. The COVID-19 shutdown, a shocking injury toll, brief lapses in concentration throughout the year.
With the new season scheduled to start on February 28, Wilkshire is working to ensure history doesn't repeat itself in 2021.
"When you look at it, there are many moments in a season that you can point to," Wilkshire said.
"The beauty this time is we'll have a proper pre-season. There's a lot of factors that come into it, a lot of injuries, but there are no excuses.
"We weren't at our best for enough periods of time, we conceded too many goals and missed opportunities. We'll work harder than anyone in the pre-season and be ready to go round one."
As is the nature of high-level sport, the coach has made a number of changes to his roster.
The bulk of the squad will return, with James Stojcevski, Nikola Djordjevic and Taylor McDonald all locked in for the new season.
Strikers Thomas James and Lachlan Scott are set to re-sign, while Corrimal star Van Elia is likely to join the club to add firepower to an attacking unit that struggled to execute in front of goal.
Takeru Okada recently trialed with A-League clubs Newcastle and Western Sydney, however it looks as though the Japanese midfielder will return to the Wolves next season.
Wilkshire is hopeful veteran defender Chris Price will play on for another season, Darcy Madden also yet to commit for the new year.
Departing the side are Nick Littler, Guy Knight, Harry Callahan and Luke Kairies.
The coach has been active in the recruitment scene, signing Central Coast Youth League talents Bilal Belkadi and Aidan Munford.
Multiple local juniors will return home, including Fletcher McFarlane, Nav Darjani and Jarvis Paterson.
With a mix of old and new, Wilkshire is confident the recruits will challenge their teammates.
"We've still got that strong core, which is important, but we've also got that freshness. You need fresh faces to keep the fire alight.
"We've got a good balance of talent that's hungry. That's important to me, players having hunger and desire to be successful and improve."
While Wilkshire is desperate to enjoy on-field success, he recognises the club's place in the football pathway.
As the tier below the A-League, the coach has placed an emphasis on developing youngsters and preparing them for higher honours.
This is the message he has pitched towards the likes of Belkadi, Darjani and Elia, Wilkshire determined to help his players achieve their professional football dream.
"I don't want players happy to be in NPL1. I want players that can go further, we'll do everything we can to help them get there.
"These guys are desperate for an opportunity, to prove they can play in NPL1 and at the highest level.
"Young, talented players sometimes don't get opportunities at the senior level, we're looking to work with them and bring the best out of them."