Victorians could be forced to wait weeks for a new premier to succeed Daniel Andrews, because candidates who are weighing up a potential challenge to frontrunner Jacinta Allan risk triggering a party-wide postal-vote.

Victorian Labor MPs and factions met into the night on Tuesday to war game potential leadership options, after Mr Andrews’ abrupt departure stunned Labor’s parliamentary team in the middle of a packed AFL grand final week and without a firm succession plan in place.