KILBURN Football Club is eyeing a fairytale premiership — a year after losing 16 games by an average of more than 300 points and forfeiting another two matches after not being able to field a full team.

The Chics will play archrival Salisbury in the amateur league division four grand final at Alberton Oval on Saturday.

Kilburn assistant coach Greg Galbraith said reaching the premiership decider was barely believable because the former powerhouse was on its knees just 12 months ago.

Amid struggles to field a team last season, the Chics scored just 144 points for the campaign, conceded 5106 and the league threatened to withdraw them from the competition if they forfeited a third A-grade game.

“It was obviously a hard year for all the boys because they were getting flogged every week,” said Galbraith, a former A-grade premiership assistant who returned to the club this season after a 12-month break.

“They had nothing — just a bunch of guys trying to keep the club together.

“To be in this predicament is amazing.

“Supporters have got a lot of joy back that Kilburn are no more the easybeats so hopefully we can get them over the line this week.”

Kilburn’s stunning revival began late last year when Matthew Whelan returned to the club as A-grade player/coach. Galbraith came on board as his assistant and Peter Thomas rejoined as football director.

They helped to lure nine premiership players back to the club this year and have moulded a new-look squad featuring just one A-grade regular from last season.

“We were basically recruiting an entire A-grade squad then maintaining a lot of the guys that stuck around for the B grade,” said Whelan, a three-time Chics premiership player.

Whelan said he was proud of how far the team had come but was not content with simply making a grand final.

“It’d be a satisfying reward for a lot of people, even the guys last year that went through all of the hardship.”

Amateur league chief executive John Kernahan said the Chics could be the first club in competition history to make a grand final the year after a winless season.



“We can’t find records to indicate otherwise,” Kernahan said.