Kilburn Football Club in serious trouble after losing two games by combined 736 points
FORGET the hapless Aldinga Sharks - here’s an Adelaide team that is having an even worse season. And they were premiers just 18 months ago.
THE SA Amateur Football League’s 66 clubs may be forced to call an extroadinary meeting to decide what to do with Kilburn Football Club, which has been thrashed by an incredible margin in its first two games of the season.
The Chics were premiers in the SAAFL’s Division 3 competition 18 months ago but have suffered back-to-back hidings of between 300 and 400 points in the same league over the past fortnight.
It followed a massive summer exodus which has left it so thin on players it forfeited both B-grade games this season.
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It has lost its two A-grade matches by a combined 736 points and was crushed 63.29 (407) to 2.0 (12) by Unley-Mercedes last Saturday. In round one against Seaton Ramblers, the score was 54.23 (347) to 1.0 (6).
Sources say the situation is quickly coming to a head with one option being to drop the Chics to a C-Grade competition for lower ranked clubs for the remainder of the season.
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The move would require an extroadinary meeting and vote of all 66 amateur clubs and would create uncertainty over which division the Chics would play in next year.
Kilburn is 90 years old and was a regular Division 1 club until last decade, when it slid down the grades.
A resurgence saw it climb back to Division 2 last season, where it was demoted despite being competitive.
A source close to the club has told The Advertiser some players were not paid in full last season contributing to a mass-exodus.
Only one player who played in the Chics’ final 2013 match took to the field last Saturday.
Former Port Adelaide champion Greg Phillips was appointed Chics coach during the pre-season but left in January when he realised the extent of the exodus.
“There was no ill-feeling or bad will,’’ Phillips said.
“We were getting 15 to 20 to training but that included guys from (country clubs) who were training with us … there were about seven Kilburn A and B-grade players.”
SAAFL CEO John Kernahan said Kilburn rejected a league offer of help as recently as a week ago.
“Clubs have a responsibility to conduct good governance,’’ he said.
“That includes on field, and off-field … Kilburn was winning premierships only 18 months ago”.
Chics president Dale Agius could not be contacted for comment yesterday.
Kilburn is not the only club suffering alarming hammerings.
Division 6 battler Mitchell Park lost by 287 points on Saturday following a similar pre-season player exodus.
Brahma Lodge successfully requested demotion to Division 5 despite winning the 2013 Division 4 premiership. It has suffered consecutive triple-figure hidings this year.
Kernahan said overall SAAFL registrations were up by about 200 to about 6000.
“The exoduses at some clubs have resulted in increases at others,’’ he said.
“This strengthens the argument that clubs are responsible for their own player retention.”