O’Sullivan Beach/Lonsdale opts to move senior teams from the Southern Football League to the Adelaide Footy League because it is sick of heavy defeats
A DISGRUNTLED senior team is leaving the Southern Football League for the amateurs — because the players are sick of being thrashed almost every week.
O’SULLIVAN Beach/Lonsdale’s seniors are leaving the Southern Football League for the amateurs because the club is sick of suffering thrashings.
The Lions have been a perennial struggler, winning just 12 games of their 76 games over the past five seasons and boasting an average losing margin of 137 points this year.
Last week O’Sullivan Beach/Lonsdale members voted to move their senior teams to the Adelaide Footy League’s division seven from 2018 but for the juniors to remain in the SFL.
Lions president Heidi Condon said “getting flogged by 15 to 20 goals” most weeks had become demoralising and the club needed to play in a more even competition.
O’Sullivan Beach/Lonsdale’s only victories this season were against winless Marion, which was going to vote on whether to join the amateurs on Sunday.
“It’s a matter of going to a game and giving your club’s supporters, players and juniors ... the motivation that ‘we can win this game’, not ‘how many goals are we going to be beaten by this week’,” Condon said.
“That’s the huge gap between where we are and where the other clubs in the SFL are at the moment.
“(Heavy defeats) have affected the club emotionally, financially as well.
“I can’t see one negative (about joining the amateurs) except for the what if risk — what if it doesn’t work?
“That’s the only negative about going.”
The club was formed in 2001 from a merger of Lonsdale Bears and O’Sullivan Beach Lions.
Lonsdale, originally known as Mawson, had been in the SFL since 1979, while O’Sullivan Beach fielded its first senior team in 1981.
Condon said the merged club would have stayed in the SFL if the league had been split into two divisions a few seasons ago.
“The amateurs just gives clubs that opportunity that if they’re having a bad few years, they have a chance to level back out, rebuild and move back up again,” she said.
“Unfortunately, you don’t have that in the SFL.
“It’s a great league though ... and that’s why our juniors are staying.”
Condon said having to travel further to amateur league matches was not a concern and the club would hire a bus for long journeys to grounds such as Houghton.
She said the Lions had handy footballers who would “have their motivation back to put in their full potential” by changing competitions.
“They’re sick of being beaten so start losing motivation, as any players would,” she said.
“They’ve got so much potential, they’ve just lost the motivation and they can get that back by going to games thinking ‘we’ve got a chance of winning today’.”
SFL president Craig Warman, a premiership captain at O’Sullivan Beach and life member of the merged club, was disappointed to see the Lions leave.
“At least they will maintain a connection to the Southern Football League through the junior competition,” Warman said.
The SFL will be down to 10 teams following O’Sullivan Beach/Lonsdale’s departure — just two years after having 15 clubs.
Edwardstown, Brighton and Morphettville Park have also left for the amateurs since the end of 2015, while Hackham’s top team played in the C grade this season.
Warman said the SFL would play with a bye and nine teams if Marion also voted to join the amateurs.
Adelaide Footy League chief executive John Kernahan was pleased to have the Lions join the competition.
THE LIONS’ PAST FIVE YEARS
2017: Second-bottom, 2-14 record
2016: Third-bottom, 5-13
2015: Second-bottom, 3-15
2014: Bottom, 0-18
2013: Bottom, 2-16