Thomas James headlines list of Wollongong Wolves players to leave club

The star striker is one of eight players to be moved on by coach Luke Wilkshire after an average season for the team.

The Wolves sat seventh with five games to play when the competition was halted - and later abandoned - due to Sydney's coronavirus outbreak.

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James did not play a game in 2021 after an eventful 2020 that ended with a red card in the semi-final.

The Englishman was handed a lengthy suspension and returned to Canberra to be with his partner and child.

Joining James in departing the Wolves are Taylor McDonald, Daniel Loe, Fletcher McFarlane, Josh Alcorn, Aidan Munford, Ethan Kambisios and Liam Wille.

While there have been no matches since June, Wilkshire has spent that time working on ways to improve his team's performances in 2022.

The coach concedes this year's results were below par and he's determined to ensure the Wolves are back on top of the table next year.

"The last two years have been challenging with COVID," Wilkshire said. "There are certain things we want to change and improve. I don't think we were where we wanted to be.

"The club, myself included, are still looking to improve. We have to find ways to improve and learn, I feel we're doing that.

"Our full focus is on getting out of COVID, getting the squad together and back on the football pitch and on top of the ladder."

With so many squad members departing, Wilkshire is in the process of signing new recruits.

The coach hopes to have this process completed in coming weeks with an FFA Cup round-of-32 clash looming in mid-November, should coronavirus restrictions ease.

A number of star players will be back, a group led by strikers Lachlan Scott and Leroy Jennings. Experienced defenders Nikola Djordjevic and Darcy Madden are returning, with goalkeeper Hayden Durose close to agreeing to a new deal.

James Stojcevski will hopefully return to the pitch in 2022 after two years of debilitating back injuries.

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