Forward Scott Graham’s final act as a Brora Rangers player was to score the equaliser in his side’s SPFL play-off semi-final win against Edinburgh City on Saturday before moving to Australia.
The 27-year-old plumber and his wife Angela, who worked for the NHS, received job offers last week and wasted little time in starting their new life in New South Wales.
Brora manager Davie Kirkwood said: “We only found out about this last week and it certainly came as a surprise to us all.
“Scott played really well against Edinburgh last weekend and he certainly didn’t look like a player who was having his last game for the club, he gave his all and took his goal really well.
“It is his life and of course we all wish Scott and his wife well.
“We will definitely miss him, but this was the opportunity of a lifetime for them and we certainly wouldn’t have wanted to stand in Scott’s way.”
Brora still hold Graham’s registration but he will join Wagga Wagga FC, based midway between Sydney and Melbourne, on loan from the Highland League club.
Despite being without Graham for Saturday’s first leg against Montrose at Dudgeon Park, Kirkwood reckons his squad is in a healthier state than it was for the Edinburgh City game last weekend.
Kirkwood added: “We will have attacker Zander Sutherland and defenders Grant Munro and Dale Gillespie, all of who missed the second leg against Edinburgh City last Saturday, back in the squad for Montrose.
“But don’t forget the three players who came into the side – Ally Macdonald, Stuart Kettlewell and young Harry Richardson, who came off the bench and changed the game when he came on.
“There are more positives than negatives as we have a good strength in our squad for what should be two excellent games against Montrose.”