Maitland vice-captain Kaitlin Radstaak said players were committed to keep growing the Magpies' Herald Women's Premier League program as the club began its search for another coach.
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Keelan Hamilton will depart Maitland at the end of this season after having accepted the coaching role with Northern NSW National Premier League club Lake Macquarie.
Hamilton has the Magpies exceeding expectations in their first year of Herald WPL.
With the competition currently on hold due to a statewide coronavirus lockdown, Maitland are fifth with 24 points.
They are four points adrift of Adamstown and Warners Bay, who are level-pegged for third place on 28 with five rounds remaining in the season proper.
Hamilton told senior players of his decision through zoom last week.
"It's obviously a bit disappointing for us to lose a coach like Keelan and a person like him because he's great to have around the group," Radstaak said.
"But we know that he's got aspirations as a coach, so we wish him all the best with that. We obviously can't blame him for wanting to further himself. He's started something good with our group, so we'll try to keep that going. That seems to be the general consensus across the playing group."
Radstaak and captain Sophie Stapleford brought a wealth of experience to the competition's newcomers, who have relied heavily on young local talent after Maitland took over Thornton's WPL licence this year.
"The club has been great to deal with," Radstaak said. "They're always asking for our feedback and always making us feel included, which has been great, so we're hoping to stick together as a group first and foremost and keep building on what we've started.
"It's been a great season. We obviously won State Cup, which is a big achievement getting that trophy for the club.
"We're obviously hoping we get back out on the park and make that run and get into the finals. I think we can really shake things up if we make it there."
Maitland Football Club president Ray Watkins said the Magpies "understand the basis of Keelan's decision and we wish him well".
"We're certainly making our own enquiries as far as coaching options for 2022 and we're receptive to approaches," Watkins said.
"Who knows what the rest of the 2021 season is, but we have certainly been more than happy with what the players have put together for us this year. And that's been in most of the WPL grades as well."
The club expressed to players last week their ambition "to be the premier club in the NPL was matched by the same desire of being the premier club for the WPL".
NNSWF have extended its premier league competitions by two weeks and will meet with clubs this week to discuss further options for completing the seasons.
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