NPLW Northern NSW premiers and champions Warners Bay are headed for a rebuilding phase with not one of their first-grade side expected to return in 2023.
The club announced on October 8 that they had appointed reserve-grade coach Ryan Swinkles to the NPLW first-grade position for next year.
The news came six days after a star-studded Warners Bay beat Newcastle Olympic 4-2 in the grand final.
Swinkles, who is also the club's technical director, replaces NPLW coach of the year Craig Atkins.
Newcastle Jets midfielder and captain Cassidy Davis is the first player to announce her departure from Warners Bay, but a host of others are expected to follow suit.
Davis confirmed on Tuesday that she has joined this season's wooden spooners New Lambton, where her brother Fletcher plays in the men's first-grade side and dad Leon is also involved in a coaching capacity. Sister Airlie will also play for the Eagles in 2023.
Davis told the Newcastle Herald she and Atkins had been keen to stay on with the Panthers.
"The club wanted to go in a different direction for next season," Davis said.
"I enjoyed working with Craig and once I knew he wasn't going to be there I thought it was time to do something different."
Warners Bay joined NNSW Football's premier competition in 2015. They were 2016 champions then beaten grand finalists in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
New Lambton entered the league in 2018 and collected the 2019 premiership-championship double but have been rebuilding for the past two seasons.
Relying heavily on a crop of largely inexperienced emerging talent, the Eagles conceded 220 goals and scored just eight in 21 losses from as many starts this year.
"I've worked with [coach] Greg [Lowe] before when I played at Valentine, so I'm excited to work with him again," Davis said.
"They've got a fairly inexperienced team so that will be a good challenge for me. It's going to be a bit more about me stepping up and helping these young girls."
Atkins has taken up a coaching opportunity with Olympic, where he previously played.
Warners Bay president Nathan Aurisch told the Herald the club had lost most of their senior squad and although disappointed by the departures were focused on developing a pathway for their youth players.
