2025 AUSTRALIAN MASTERS

Twenty of the top players will play the Australian Masters as a round robin in Melbourne. At the same time, teams of three players from each of seven states or territories play the State Team Challenge as head-to-head matches.

Rule variation

Masters section has 5 point penalty for each word challenged but correct.

The contenders

The table below shows the teams according to qualification criteria set by the Council of the Australian Scrabble Players Association.
IMPORTANT: Selection processes will now give priority to Australian players who have told CASPA that they will attend or might attend. Send an email to nro@scrabble.org.au with the subject line including AMSC25, and an indication of YES, NO or MAYBE. Any Australian ASPA member may ask to be considered, not just the ones listed as contenders.

Australian Masters

The selection comprises the best twenty active players (those players who have played at least one game during the qualification period) ranked by Q statistic.

State Team Challenge

Each state team will comprise three eligible players who have not already been selected for the Masters event and are the next best three from their state, ranked by Q statistic.
If insufficient eligible players are available … If insufficient eligible players are available, the state will not be permitted to participate in the State Team Challenge for that year unless a maximum of one stand-in can be fielded before the tournament from any state (generally, but not necessarily, that state in which the tournament takes place). That stand-in must also meet the above criteria.
An eligible stand-in may also be fielded in the event of illness or other unforeseen circumstance during the tournament.

Selection by ratings

The primary criterion for ranking candidates is the Q statistic
Details

Players may appeal to CASPA for a special dispensation in exceptional circumstances. In the event of any unforeseen issue the decision of CASPA is final.



The Qstat is Q = (P1 + P2 + 2 x P3)/4 where P1, P2, P3 are peaks from Jun to Sep, Oct to Jan and Feb to May. Extrapolated Qstat is shown, together with the peak(games) in each period. 40 games required.



Australian Masters


Contender
Q Stat
15.12.2024
Games
need 40
Peak (games)
Jun to Sep
Peak (games)
Oct to Jan
Peak (games)
Feb to May
David Eldar (VIC) 2124.0058✓ 2130(41)2118(17)
Edward Okulicz (VIC) 1926.0082✓ 1949(58)1903(24)
Naween Fernando (VIC) 1917.5039   1947(26)1888(13)
Cameron Farlow (QLD) 1906.5049✓ 1899(24)1914(25)
Andrew Fisher (VIC) 1900.5033   1899(26)1902(7)
Trevor Halsall (VIC) 1880.0058✓ 1880(58)
Esther Perrins (NSW) 1829.0037   1829(37)
Peter Kougi (VIC) 1821.00*7   1713(0)1929(7)
Daniel Piechnick (SA) 1811.0073✓ 1811(41)1811(32)
Victor Tung (NSW) YES 1771.5038   1782(26)1761(12)
Rod Talbot (NSW) 1766.00134✓ 1763(67)1769(67)
Ryan Sutton (NSW) 1736.5080✓ 1750(44)1723(36)
Joanne Craig (NSW) 1730.5065✓ 1682(25)1779(40)
Stephen Mooney Purse(TAS) 1702.5018   1719(4)1686(14)
Bob Jackman (NSW) 1685.5092✓ 1688(25)1683(67)
Tony Hunt (NSW) 1680.5078✓ 1659(55)1702(23)
Michael Hornung (VIC) 1678.50*5   1575(0)1782(5)

State Challenge


Contender
Q Stat
15.12.2024
Games
need 40
Peak (games)
Jun to Sep
Peak (games)
Oct to Jan
Peak (games)
Feb to May
John Spaan (ACT1) 1676.5074✓ 1657(50)1696(24)
Josh Watt (NSW1) YES 1676.00100✓ 1613(49)1739(51)
Jane Taylor (SA1) 1666.00124✓ 1622(74)1710(50)
Geoff Wright (VIC1) 1664.0092✓ 1642(60)1686(32)
Carmel Dodd (SA2) 1648.5082✓ 1635(61)1662(21)
Oscar Ivanovski (VIC2) 1644.5091✓ 1628(65)1661(26)
John Hamilton (ACT2) 1629.5077✓ 1653(46)1606(31)
John Holgate (NSW2) 1625.00103✓ 1658(67)1592(36)
Adam Kretschmer (SA3) MAYBE 1622.0048✓ 1641(42)1603(6)
Mythili Rudra (VIC3) 1616.50*7   1511(0)1722(7)
Rael Hayman (NSW3) 1609.006   1609(6)
Karen Richards (QLD1) YES 1599.00185✓ 1656(136)1542(49)
Tony Miller (SA4) 1585.0063✓ 1579(44)1591(19)
Noel Barrett (ACT3) 1574.0067✓ 1574(67)
Paul Richards (QLD2) YES 1573.50172✓ 1543(116)1604(56)
Nick Ivanovski (VIC4) 1571.50*28   1431(8)1712(20)
Garth van Vliet (NSW4) 1552.0049✓ 1589(25)1515(24)
Jane Brown (QLD3) 1543.5066✓ 1568(50)1519(16)
Antony Kimber (SA5) 1540.0078✓ 1542(48)1538(30)
Dianne Brumby (TAS1) 1535.5067✓ 1597(43)1474(24)
Guy Newsham (QLD4) 1527.0028   1527(28)
Julie Brice (QLD5) 1526.0017   1526(17)
Jon Ford-King (TAS2) 1520.0048✓ 1489(29)1551(19)
Nat Podesser (VIC5) 1513.5057✓ 1521(45)1506(12)
Graeme Lock Lee (NSW5) 1510.5038   1517(14)1504(24)
Rocky Sharma (NSW6) 1510.0042✓ 1478(18)1542(24)
Michael Vnuk (SA6) 1496.5070✓ 1507(49)1486(21)
Jyoti Chandna (NSW7) 1496.0018   1496(18)
Dianne Davis (VIC6) 1493.5047✓ 1505(21)1482(26)
Jimmy Scarff (VIC7) 1491.00*0   1491(0)
Quentin Abbott (QLD6) 1483.008   1483(8)
Sheryl Davidson (QLD7) 1475.5092✓ 1482(60)1469(32)
Trevor Tao (SA7) 1459.00*0   1459(0)
Martin Rose (TAS3) 1450.0054✓ 1460(36)1440(18)
Khen Meerding (TAS4) 1437.0031   1437(31)
Tim Reddan (ACT4) 1410.5073✓ 1413(49)1408(24)
Margaret Webb (TAS5) 1404.5023   1423(18)1386(5)
Ronnie Bennett (ACT5) 1389.00*0   1389(0)
Caroline Scowcroft (ACT6) 1362.5087✓ 1353(23)1372(64)
Lexia Smallwood (ACT7) 1316.0053✓ 1316(53)
Ros Wilkinson (TAS6) 1278.0043✓ 1252(25)1304(18)
Jan Hill (TAS7) 1225.5035   1261(21)1190(14)


Not going:
Recently processed:
07.12.2024 Saturday Sessions (SA) New peak for Carmel Dodd
08.12.2024 Before Christmas (VIC) New peak for Nat Podesser, Geoff Wright, David Eldar
08.12.2024 Central Coast Summer (NSW) New peak for Josh Watt, Tony Hunt
08.12.2024 Graham Bell Memorial (WA) New peak for David Vanzyl, Ian Ting, Benjamin Lee, Russell Honeybun
14.12.2024 Kingo Slammer (TAS) New peak for Jon Ford-King, Margaret Webb, Martin Rose
15.12.2024 Last Chance (QLD) New peak for Karen Richards, Paul Richards
15.12.2024 SA December (SA) New peak for Carmel Dodd, Tony Miller