VFL Finals Eligibility (running tally)

[MagpieBat]

UPDATE 28/08/16: Adam Oxley becomes our final player to qualify!

Hey guys.

Following on from my detailed response to MightyMagpies in the season preview thread, and with our ressies seemingly headed towards their fourth consecutive VFL finals campaign, I thought now might be the best time to start a running tally on the number of AFL-listed players eligible to play in September and to outline what needs to happen with others who have made cameos at this level throughout the year in order for them to do so.

For those of you unfamiliar with how this works, I have quoted the relevant rules below:

20. Participation in Finals
(a) A Player who has not played in at least one AFL, VFL Senior Grade or Development League Home and Away Match in the relevant season will be ineligible to play in the Senior Grade Finals Series.

...

(b) Subject to Regulation 20(c) below, a Player who has played in an AFL Home and Away Match after 1 July in the relevant season will be ineligible to play in VFL Senior Grade or Development League Finals Series Matches unless that Player has played in a combined total of at least six (6) Senior Grade or Development League Home and Away Matches in the same season.

...

(g) Despite any other provision in Rule 20, where a Club does not field a Development League Team, an AFL listed Player must:
(i) qualify under Regulation 20(b); and
(ii) have played no more than 12 AFL Home and Away Matches, to be eligible to play in VFL Finals Series Matches.

http://www.foxsportspulse.com/assoc_pag ... sID=277333

Qualified under 20 (b) & (g)
Brayden Sier
Tim Golds
Brent Macaffer
Darrean Wyatt
Tom Phillips
Jonathon Marsh
Rupert Wills
Matthew Goodyear
Corey Gault
Jarrod Witts
Ben Crocker
Timothy Broomhead
Tyson Goldsack
Alan Toovey
Jack Frost
Marley Williams
Adam Oxley

Italics - ruled out with season-ending injury

It's a bit Byzantine, I know. But hopefully I've made it as clear as I can. Clear as silt as opposed to clear as mud, perhaps. But clearer nevertheless...

Any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Errors in my math?

Then it's over to you...

[1892_]

Seen your post over on bigfooty, not sure if it's a matter of your maths or my maths being bad, but our figures differ slightly. I know I had Witts wrong and forgot to list Golds.

We also seem to differ on our interpretation of 20(g)(ii), I take no more than 12 to mean that 13 is the number that rules a player out.

This is where I have games tallies and my workings. (Green fill = AFL, light green = VFL)

[MagpieBat]

Nice chart. Good work.

I'm not sure we've differed in our interpretations of 20(g)(ii). I also interpret it as to mean 12 games still leaves you eligible, while 13 games does not. Hence, my use of the phrase "no more than" when outlining the maximum amount of games each player can play in the AFL to retain eligibility...

[1892_]

Nice chart. Good work.

I'm not sure we've differed in our interpretations of 20(g)(ii). I also interpret it as to mean 12 games still leaves you eligible, while 13 games does not. Hence, my use of the phrase "no more than" when outlining the maximum amount of games each player can play in the AFL to retain eligibility...

That would be me reading it wrong, I only paid attention to 6 of the last 9 games etc and missed the no more than. No morning coffee will do that.

[MagpieBat]

No worries. I thought for a second that I'd done my sums and stuff all wrong, even after half a dozen re-checks!

I hear ya. Caffeine is an essential part of the morning wake-up routine...

[Presti35]

Thanks for all that info Batsy.

So as I see it, all the guys listed here are ok to play VFL finals:

Qualified under 20 (b) & (g)
Brayden Sier
Tim Golds
Brent Macaffer
Darrean Wyatt
Tom Phillips
Jonathon Marsh
Rupert Wills
Matthew Goodyear

And these guys are all but certain to become ok to play:

Gault, Witts, Broomhead, Goldsack.

You'd think Cloke will play against Carlton and for the majority of the year now. Same with White and Brown/Frost.

The rest are all up in the air, but we'll have a better idea in about 3-4 weeks.

[MagpieBat]

Pretty much.

I do think that Cloke will be dropped back the VFL at some point in the near-future, so his eligibility may actually become locked in over the next few weeks. Whether they would choose to play him in a final or not, remains to be determined...

Hopefully we try to qualify as many on that second list as possible.

[MagpieBat]

First update since I posted the list last week, with two tall players in Witts and Gault moving from partial to full qualification, having played this afternoon and achieving the necessary 6 games, which would apply in the event that either man is promoted to play AFL between now and the rest of the season...

[The Average Tourist]

Looking at the list to qualify not sure there is any benefit in Clokey qualifying prefer him to stay in the ones and keep clunking, Smith would be probably better to stay in the ones and play the year out and start 2017 as a Senior player.
But I see plenty of upside for Big Mason qualifying and playing in a finals series, likewise for Crocker, maybe Aish but I would like to see him hold his spot in the seniors.
Having Goldy and Tooves down there is a good thing with Caff, Marsh, Marley with Witts, Wills Frosty plus the VFA players would give us great experience and depth

[1892_]

Looking at the list to qualify not sure there is any benefit in Clokey qualifying prefer him to stay in the ones and keep clunking, Smith would be probably better to stay in the ones and play the year out and start 2017 as a Senior player.
But I see plenty of upside for Big Mason qualifying and playing in a finals series, likewise for Crocker, maybe Aish but I would like to see him hold his spot in the seniors.
Having Goldy and Tooves down there is a good thing with Caff, Marsh, Marley with Witts, Wills Frosty plus the VFA players would give us great experience and depth

Yeah, I agree think it would be better for player and club if Cloke and Aish were to hold down a senior spot for the remainder of the year. Reckon Cloke would be unlikely to play VFL finals even if he qualifies anyway.

Crocker, Goldsack and Broomhead should lock in their positions next week. I'd say Brown has won the battle for the senior full back spot for now, which should see Frost qualify. Similarly White, Cloke and Moore should hold Cox out, which would see him eligible despite currently only having played the first 2 VFL games. With Williams also running around in the twos Toovey is a better than even bet, same with Oxley, Williams who needs 3 more VFL games is less likely, but still a pretty good chance.

Potentially we'll have a very strong VFL side.

If they all qualify we could have 18 AFL players available to take the field and look something like this
(already qualified, will possibly qualify)


F: Toovey ~ Frost ~ Goldsack
HB: Golds ~ Marsh ~ Williams
C: Broomhead ~ Goodyear ~ Oxley
HF: Phillips ~ Gault ~ Sier
F: Wyatt ~ Cox ~ Crocker
R: Witts ~ Macaffer ~ Wills


The next question would be our VFL listed players. Hellier, Pendlebury, Moloney, Kelly, Gray, Ferguson, Borthwick, Howe and Smith all deserve to be certainties for mine with Lane, Collopy, Taylor and Hinkley not far behind. Viola, Close and Howe on talent would be a chance, but all have mysteriously missed lengthly periods, similarly Jack Blair and Still who were last known to be injured.

Ignoring the VFL players who have missed lengthy periods, we'd have a very strong squad of 30 to pick from.

[MagpieBat]

I don't agree re Aish. I think he'd actually benefit from playing a prime midfield role in the VFL, particularly in a finals series, than having to play half forward in the seniors with our top-liners all ahead of him. Even then, I'm only talking about tactical qualification, not outright exile...

[1892_]

I don't agree re Aish. I think he'd actually benefit from playing a prime midfield role in the VFL, particularly in a finals series, than having to play half forward in the seniors with our top-liners all ahead of him. Even then, I'm only talking about tactical qualification, not outright exile...

I can see where you're coming from with Aish and agree he would also benefit from midfield minutes in VFL finals, just think good AFL form is more important. There's a chance both objectives could be achieved, but we'd have to manage his remaining games carefully. Needs 2 VFL games to qualify, however 5 AFL games would completely rule him out.

[The Average Tourist]

I don't agree re Aish. I think he'd actually benefit from playing a prime midfield role in the VFL, particularly in a finals series, than having to play half forward in the seniors with our top-liners all ahead of him. Even then, I'm only talking about tactical qualification, not outright exile...

I can see where you're coming from with Aish and agree he would also benefit from midfield minutes in VFL finals, just think good AFL form is more important. There's a chance both objectives could be achieved, but we'd have to manage his remaining games carefully. Needs 2 VFL games to qualify, however 5 AFL games would completely rule him out.

Actually it could be great for Aish to be the main man in a "Successful Final Series" same as Cox (who should go back and dominate)

[MagpieBat]

I don't agree re Aish. I think he'd actually benefit from playing a prime midfield role in the VFL, particularly in a finals series, than having to play half forward in the seniors with our top-liners all ahead of him. Even then, I'm only talking about tactical qualification, not outright exile...

I can see where you're coming from with Aish and agree he would also benefit from midfield minutes in VFL finals, just think good AFL form is more important. There's a chance both objectives could be achieved, but we'd have to manage his remaining games carefully. Needs 2 VFL games to qualify, however 5 AFL games would completely rule him out.

Easily done. Drop him for the coming 3 weeks (VFL at Frankston, bye, VFL at Vic Park) and he's home and hosed. You could then bring him back for the final month of the AFL and give him a block of games maybe across half back, or in the engine room to get his hands on it and see how that looks.

A month of getting his hands on it 20-25 times a game either on the ball or behind it would be beneficial for his development, would give the coaches some food for thought looking ahead to 2017 and would give Aish some momentum in the immediate term to take into a VFL finals campaign.

Multiple birds, one stone.

[MagpieBat]

Forgot to mention, I updated the games tallies and various player scenarios again. No new players qualified, though...

This week's trip to Frankston shapes as a big one for qualifications, with 3 players (Broomhead, Crocker and Goldsack) looking set to have their eligibility locked in and potentially 2 others in Frost and Cloke who could theoretically become provisionally qualified under the provisions of Rule 20(b).

Of course, we won't be dropping Cloke, so Frost to provisionally qualify it will most likely be...