GV clubs sweat on VFL players for finals
Two Goulburn Valley contenders could be in for massive boosts ahead of their looming finals campaigns. See the latest.
Goulburn Valley flag contenders Kyabram and Rochester are monitoring closely the availability of two star players for their finals campaigns in September.
Kyabram’s Anthony Depasquale and Rochester’s Drew Lloyd are yet to play enough games for their GVL clubs to play finals and haven’t played more than 12 matches at VFL level for Werribee and Port Melbourne respectively which would rule them out.
Depasqule topped the GVL goalkicking last year with 73 goals and was recruited by VFL reigning premiers Werribee where he has played eight games.
Werribee had the bye last round, but he wasn’t available to play a fourth game for Kyabram that would have left him one short of the five needed to play finals under GVL rules.
Depasquale hasn’t been picked to play for Werribee on Saturday on the same day Kyabram has a bye in the GVL.
“We plan to be without him because he’s played a fair bulk of the season down there,” Kyabram coach Corey Carver said.
“But you are always hopeful he will be available.”
Lloyd has played the last three matches for Rochester after playing nine games for Port Melbourne.
The former Balranald star was suspended for one match for an incident arising from Rochester’s best win of the season to date against reigning premier, Echuca, last Saturday.
“We’ve had him for the last three games which has been great,” Rochester coach Ash Watson said.
“But if he plays another four more for Port Melbourne we won’t have him for finals.
“We will just see how the next month and a half plays out.
“I’m hoping he will qualify to play finals with us, but I’m thinking he will get back into Port’s team.
“He’s a good player and I really rate him.
“He had a couple of quiet weeks, but he played onball last week and was outstanding.”
MOE SEEKS EXEMPTION FOR BALDI
Moe will be requesting AFL Victoria grant an exemption on “integrity and fairness” grounds to allow star onballer Riley Baldi to be part of the club’s push for a drought-breaking premiership in September.
The Lions were blindsided by a directive last week that Gippsland league by-laws stating a player only needs to play four matches to be eligible for finals would be superseded by AFL Victoria rules stating they can’t once they’ve played more than 12 VFL matches.
“AFL rules are all based on integrity and fairness,” Moe president Matt Howlett said.
“So if you’re talking fairness, it’s pretty unfair on Riley that the goalposts have shifted mid-season.
“It’s all a bit unprecedented for everyone down here.”
Baldi played his 12th match for Casey Demons last round, but Howlett said a submission was being prepared requesting his finals eligibility be revisited.
“As a club we abide by the Gippsland league by-laws,” he said.
“There have been precedents in our league where players who have played more than 12 VFL games have played in finals.
“The Gippsland league by-laws don’t contradict AFL Victoria rules, but they muddy the waters to a degree for people at club land.
“Our entire retention and recruitment process for 2025 was on the understanding that players had to play four games to qualify to play finals.
“Everything changed last week, but Riley is a one-point player and we want him to be part of whatever success our guys may have.”
Baldi joined Moe as a junior in 2016 and won last year’s Gippsland league best and fairest, the Trood Award and Rodda Medal.
Moe also recruited Frankston VFL player Tom Murphy on the basis he would only need to play four matches to qualify for finals, but Baldi’s eligibility was the club’s sole focus.
Traralgon’s Tristen Waack and Leongatha pair Cam Olden and Noah Gown have played in recent Gippsland league finals series after playing more than 12 VFL matches.
Moe coach Leigh Poholke said last week the changes could have long-term impacts on the ability to recruit players to the league.
“IT’S ROBBING GIPPSLAND”
Gippsland flag contenders Leongatha and Moe will be robbed of homegrown star power including Dyson Heppell and Riley Baldi at finals time after a mid-season call on VFL-listed player eligibility.
VFL-listed players have previously only needed to play four matches for their aligned club to qualify for finals under Gippsland league by-laws.
But, for the first time, if a player has played more than 12 VFL matches they are ruled out, which is the case in all country leagues including neighbouring West Gippsland.
Gippsland league general manager Daniel Heathcote said: “AFL Gippsland have advised us that their AFL Victoria Country rule regarding VFL players finals eligibility supersede any local competition by-laws.
“Gippsland league has made no change to our rules regarding finals eligibility.”
Leongatha coach Trent McMicking and Moe coach Leigh Poholke believe the mid-season ruling from AFL Gippsland will dramatically alter recruiting strategies in future seasons.
In last year’s Gippsland grand final, Tristen Waack was eligible to play for premiers Traralgon despite playing 15 matches for the Northern Bullants and Cam Olden played for Leongatha after playing 16 matches for Richmond.
Heppell and Baldi played their 12th matches for Port Melbourne and Casey Demons at the weekend.
Moe also signed Frankston captain Tom Murphy in the hope of having him available for finals.
“Gippsland has always had VFL players come back,” Poholke said.
“I don’t mind the rule, but to bring it in halfway through the year is unfair.
“We would have gone down a different recruitment path had we known the rule was going to be changed.
“Tom Murphy is a great player, but we only went after him because of the rule that was in place.
“We would have gone and got another three-point midfielder.
“Imagine if the cards fell this way and you had a Dyson Heppell-Riley Baldi match up in a grand final?
“It would bring thousands of people through the gates.
“It’s robbing Gippsland, which is already a tough place to recruit players from Melbourne to improve the product.”
McMicking said Heppell was recruited on the basis he would be available for finals if he played the four Gippsland league games to qualify.
“It’s a shame the best players in the competition won’t be playing finals,” McMicking said.
“Clubs are trying to promote the league to become one of the best leagues in Victoria and this doesn’t allow us to do that.
“Riley Baldi, who is a one-pointer, deserves to be playing finals for Moe.
“Dyson Heppell is devastated, he was so keen to play with his brother for us.”
But Warragul could escape the impact of the mid-season rule clarification with three VFL-listed players set to be available for finals if the Gulls make the top-five.
Star midfielder Will Hayes played his third match for Warragul on Saturday and has only played five for Carlton.
Sydney-listed Koby Grass has only played one VFL game and will play his third match for Warragul on Saturday.
Liam Serong has played six matches for Warragul and Coburg.
League by-laws state: “Any player drafted by an AFL club, placed on an AFL supplementary or rookie list or included on an official VFL list can, provided he has qualified under the rules, return to play Gippsland league finals in the senior grade only”.
