SA Amateur Football League club Brahma Lodge drop a division after mass player exodus

AMATEUR football club Brahma Lodge has dropped down a division as it struggles to cope with a mass off-season player exodus.

AMATEUR football club Brahma Lodge has dropped down a division as it struggles to cope with a mass off-season player exodus.

Last month the Northern Messenger reported the ­Tigers were set to remain in the SA Amateur Football League’s division four — ­despite earning promotion to the third tier last year — because they had lost more than 20 A-grade players and did not think they could be competitive.

Instead the club will play in division five after asking the league for permission to go down a fortnight ago.

New Brahma Lodge coach Ben ­Schomann said the move was necessary for the club’s long-term ­survival.

“We need to make sure it’s not just a club for 2014 but there’s one for 2015, 2016, 2017,” Schomann said.

“The club had to make the ­decision to drop down.

“We’re not afraid to go through the season without a win, it’s about making sure the club is still around in years to come.

“We’ve been in ­constant contact with the amateur league.”

Schomann said he was “very confident” the club would have a B-grade team this season.

Last month SAAFL chief executive Grant Goodall said the Tigers had ­presented “compelling evidence” on why they should not be promoted.

“When you lose the players they’ve lost, extenuating circumstances are always taken into consideration,” Goodall said.