Ovens & Murray: VFL player finals eligibility rule change proposed for 2026
Ovens & Murray league plans to slash VFL player qualification matches from nine to five senior matches for finals eligibility amid growing state-level opportunities.
The Ovens & Murray league is preparing a pre-emptive strike to the looming scrapping of VFL player finals eligibility rules from next season.
It’s briefed clubs on a proposed bylaw change at its annual meeting next month in response to the removal from the AFL Country Rules handbook of the previous VFL player eligibility rules.
The ruling set for the chop states a player is ineligible to return to their aligned country club if they played more than 12 VFL matches.
All leagues have local by-laws relating to VFL-listed players, with Dyson Heppell returning from Port Melbourne last year to play a starring role in Leongatha’s premiership-winning team in the Gippsland league.
O&M chairman David Sinclair said the 12-match rule would be wiped.
But a VFL-listed player still had to play five senior matches in the O&M to be able to play in finals.
Current O&M rules state a VFL player has to play nine O&M matches to be eligible for September action.
Sinclair said the rule was “too onerous” in the current landscape where more players were being exposed to state league action.
Also, last season Greater Western Sydney established an Albury academy where O&M players were called up to play in the VFL.
“With the amount of players that are now involved at VFL level we felt it was becoming too onerous to meet the nine-game qualification for finals,” Sinclair said.
“Particularly with GWS having an ever increasing foothold in our part of the world.
“We’ve also had feedback that it was becoming a recruiting issue for players who may be called on to play VFL.
“We could potentially be handing leagues with less restrictive qualification rules an advantage.”
Wangaratta president Jon Henry said he was supportive of the changes on the proviso they were policed correctly.
“If you’re a bona fide VFL player each week I don’t think there would be too many clubs letting a player play five games somewhere else,” he said.
“But you can’t be walking guys on and off in the reserves to get to the five games.
“That sort thing is not in the spirit of the game.”
The O&M rule changes need the support of eight of the 10 clubs.
The Gippsland league has been contacted to clarify its VFL player finals eligibility rules for 2026 and beyond.
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