Player points: Wang Rovers believe points changes cut too deep, too soon
O&M premiers Wang Rovers have weighed in on the player points system changes coming in 2025. See their reaction.
Ovens & Murray premiers Wangaratta Rovers have added to the angst about a new player points system next year, claiming too much weight is being given to one season’s results.
The Rovers will play on the lowest points of any club next season when they drop from 40 to 36 points after winning the flag this year.
Football manager Barry Sullivan said a better way of determining a club’s points would be results over “three, four or five years” after only four clubs had played in a grand final in 16 years before Rovers broke through this season.
“Something like this can work, but it has to be based on a longer-term perspective,” he said.
“If you’ve been in the finals for five years then it’s game on.
“The way the competition was this year we lost to teams outside the top five and could have finished fourth.
“We came from the back row to win a flag, but it was only the second time we’ve been in a grand final for 30 years.”
Sullivan said Rovers had unsuccessfully applied to remain on 40 points given it was well advanced with recruiting for 2025 when the player points changes for the region were confirmed by AFLNEB in the second half of the season.
The Rovers have signed Werribee premiership player Nathan Cooper for next year and will be a high point player next year despite being aligned to the club since 2019.
“He’s been a fantastic player for Werribee and has been aligned to us for five years” Sullivan said.
“But with his VFL commitments he’s never managed to get more than three or four games with us.
“You’ve got to play more than five to drop a point.
“The trouble with the new system is you don’t know what points you are dealing with until very late.
“You can get into a situation where you think you’ve got more points and you might not be able to fulfil your contractual commitments.
“Especially if you’re signing guys for two years.”
POLL: What would be a fairer amount of player points for @omfnl club @NortAlburyFNC? @theweeklytimes
— David Johnston (@david_johnston5) October 31, 2024
2025 PLAYER POINTS
(2024 points in brackets)
Wangaratta Rovers 36 (40)
Yarrawonga 37 (40)
North Albury 39 (46)
Wangaratta 39 (40)
Wodonga 40 (42)
Albury 42 (40)
Lavington 43 (40)
Myrtleford 44 (46)
Wodonga Raiders 45 (46)
Corowa-Rutherglen 55 (60)
EARLIER COVERAGE
North Albury has paid a big price for its on field resurrection from wooden-spooner to preliminary finalist in only two seasons in the Ovens & Murray league.
North Albury finished bottom in 2022 before completing a rapid rebuild to making the penultimate week of finals last month under former Collingwood player Tim Broomhead.
But under a revised region-wide player points system being introduced in 2025, North Albury will drop from the maximum allowable 46 points to 39 points.
On the new tiered points structure announced mid-season, North Albury would have had 38 points, but an additional point was confirmed this week.
The club didn’t exceed 40 points in its three recent finals matches, but is still upset at the size of the hit, claiming the major rebuild is still incomplete.
North Albury football manager Mark Guiney confirmed it was appealing to AFL Northeast Border Commission for an undisclosed amount of additional points.
He declined to comment further.
AFLNEB regional manager Zac Hedin said North Albury’s extra point in 2025 was “deemed appropriate” by the region’s player points system panel.
“With the introduction of the new structure, the most recent season carried the most weight when considering the following year’s allocation,” he said.
“The panel considers a wide variety of factors, such as returning players who receive deductions, departing players and average points used throughout a year.”
Premier team Wangaratta Rovers will drop from 40 to 36 next year and runner-up Yarrawonga will go from 40 to 37.
Albury, which missed finals for the first time since 2008, will increase from 40 to 42 points.
Corowa-Rutherglen has dropped from 60 points in its first season back from recess to 55 next year and will have an extra $12,500 to spend on players in 2025.
Its salary cap will be $142,500 with the remaining nine teams on a budget of $130,000.
The extra points and cap space are being put to immediate use by incoming coach Daryn Cresswell.
He has spearheaded a recruiting spree that has netted three members of his South Cairns Cutters premiership team to date, Tyler Roos, Josh Clayton and Liam McCarthy, and Riverina league medal winner Nathan Richards and his Griffith teammate Jack Rowston.
The closest Corowa-Rutherglen went to using its 60 points was when Roos and Clayton made one-off appearances for the club in June and it used 51 points.
POLL: Where will a Darryn Cresswell-coached Corowa Rutherglen finish on @omfnl ladder next season? @theweeklytimes@ctryfootyscores
— David Johnston (@david_johnston5) September 29, 2024
The tiered points system will also be introduced in the Tallangatta & District and Ovens & King leagues next year.
Premier Yackandandah will drop from 40 to 37 and Chiltern will go from 40 to 38.
Wahgunyah has been given 50 points after its on field woes continued in 2024.
Ovens & King flag winner Greta has gone from 42 to 37 and runner-up Bright has dropped from 42 to 38.
Minor premier Bonnie Doon will go from 42 to 39.
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