After announcing plans to return to the Leonard Cup last year, the club has been unable to lock in sufficient numbers for the coming season.

The Sharks announced Brooke Gayler as their coach in November last year.

Gayler said with expectations they would field both a first and reserve grade side, the 13 players she had available would not be competitive playing two games.

Early conversations with Henwood Park to field a joint side fell through, and instead Lake Albert will look at returning to senior women's soccer in 2025.

"It's disappointing from the club point of view, we tried to get it up and running but it didn't work, but it's not the end," Gayler said.

"The way it's panned out, it will probably make for a stronger competition this year."

Gayler raised concern with Lake Albert, Henwood Park, and Charles Sturt all looking for players to fill new women's teams this year.

With a relatively small talent pool to draw from, she said it was always a stretch to get six new local teams filled.

Though unable to form the sides this year, Gayler said the door is still open to return next season.

With a swell of junior girls ready to age into the senior game she said the future of women's soccer at the club remains bright.

"I think next year, they will be fine," she said.

"This year we were relying on past players saying they will come back, where next year it will be a young side again, but we've got a group of girls coming through that won't be age eligible for youth girls and will be ready for the senior women's level."

Already involved with the club, Gayler believes the boost those juniors will bring in 2025 could be the final piece for the club to return to the competition.

Expecting most of her players to migrate to Henwood Park for the season, she would like to see them return to Lake Albert next year.