Tiered player points move for Ovens & Murray, Tallangatta and Ovens & King leagues
The premier team’s ability to bring in more gun players has been made harder for three country footy leagues. See the changes and where they are happening.
AFL Northeast Border has made the biggest change to the player points system since its inception with the premier team in the Ovens & Murray, Tallangatta District and Ovens & King leagues to have a hand brake applied to recruiting from next year.
The O&M premier will have 36 points with Yarrawonga to drop from its current amount of 40 if it can complete back-to-back premierships in September.
Chiltern and Bonnie Doon face the same scenario if they win premierships again in the TDFL and O&K respectively with Chiltern to drop from 40 to 37 and Bonnie Doon from 42 to 37.
The move to a tiered or scaled player points system comes at a time when the TDFL and O&K are among the top-five most uneven leagues in the state.
AFLNEB regional manager Zac Hedin said it was a “significant shift” from the system of clubs applying for additional points that had existed for the last eight years.
It has previously resisted pressure to dock points from teams that have had a sustained run at the top winning flags or competing in grand finals.
“Ultimately, the region and leagues want to see competitive competitions which will lead to better outcomes for all involved,” Hedin said.
“While this will be a change for clubs, there are a number of leagues across the state who have been using similar structures with success.”
The bottom three teams in the TDFL will have 46 points from next year and the two bottom teams in the O&K will also have 46.
The O&M wooden spooner will also have 46, but Corowa-Rutherglen is playing with 60 this year after a season spent in recess.
All clubs can apply to have extra points under the changes announced late last week.
Yarrawonga won the O&M grand final last year and added two five-pointers (Dan Howe and Perry Lewis-Smith) and a four-pointer (Damien Wilson) to its 2024 squad.
The O&M is in the top-10 most even leagues this year, but has had only four teams play in grand finals since 2008 _ Yarrawonga, Wangaratta, Albury and Lavington.
The bottom-placed TDFL team Wahgunyah presently has 46 points, but second bottom team Dederang-Mt Beauty has only 40 points.
Both teams have some of the poorest percentages in the state and suffer heavy losses weekly.
Benalla All Blacks and Tarrawingee are in a similar predicament in the O&K with 42 points each this year.
POINTS CAPS FROM 2025
OVENS AND MURRAY
Premier: 36
Runner-up: 37
Third: 38
Fourth: 39
Fifth: 40
Sixth: 42
Seventh: 43
Eighth: 44
Ninth: 45
Tenth: 46
TALLANGATTA
Premier: 37
Runner-up: 38
Third: 39
Fourth: 40
Fifth: 41
Sixth: 42
Seventh: 43
Eighth: 44
Ninth: 45
Tenth: 46
11th: 46
12th: 46
OVENS & KING
Premier: 37
Runner-up: 38
Third: 39
Fourth: 40
Fifth*: 41
Sixth*: 42
Seventh: 43
Eighth: 44
Ninth: 45
Tenth: 46
11th: 46
*Margins in the elimination finals will determine final ladder position when determining player points totals for following season.
Footy fields to crop yields: Jack Henderson’s perfect work balance
Jack Henderson is sticking true to his country roots working part-time with farmers and forging an AFL career. We chat to him about how he does it.
Ex-AFL players dominate as unbeaten sides stumble
It was a tough weekend for some premiership favourites as ex-AFL players shined in country footy alongside a social media star. Here are all the country footy talking points.