JETS coach Rob Stanton is unsure if anyone will ever beat Jason Hoffman's club-record 220 A-League games for Newcastle.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Hoffman, the home-grown 35-year-old, made his 300th and likely last A-League appearance on Saturday night in Newcastle's season-ending 3-1 loss to Central Coast Mariners at McDonald Jones Stadium.
The veteran entered the game off the bench in the 62nd minute and received a standing ovation from a vocal crowd of 9416.
Hoffman is the only man to have played in 200 A-League games for Newcastle, a feat Stanton admitted might never be repeated.
"In today's game, loyalty is something you don't see as much," Stanton said.
"This generation of playing maybe think a little bit different ... it's just the way the world is. I'm not sure we will see that again, but you never know.
"Hopefully we might have a young player coming through who might emulate that."
Stanton was hopeful Hoffman would remain involved in the club next season "in some capacity".
Stanton described Hoffman as "a great guy and good human being".
"You have to be of certain character and quality to last that long and played so many games in the last 17 years," Stanton said
"If you aren't, you don't survive."
Stanton was pleased Hoffman received a "super send-off", in front of family and friends on his home ground.
"I'm glad the fans came out," he said.
"I'm glad it was a derby and it had a high importance as well, the game.
"It was only disappointing we didn't send him out a winner.
"I think he showed really good class when he came on. He was competitive and got stuck in
Meanwhile, Jets striker Apostolos Stamatelopoulos broke Adam Taggart's club record by scoring his 17th goal of the season on Saturday.
"It was a great goal, as well," Stanton said.
"It was well taken. He was strong in the air, it was a good delivery.
"He played well again today and he just showed he's a strong player, high skills, technically good on the ball, and knows where the goal is, which he proved with a clinical header."