2026 AUSTRALIAN MASTERS

Twenty of the top players will play the Australian Masters as a round robin in . 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. A player must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. Temporary visa holders are not eligible.
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 barry.harridge@gmail.com 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.




Australian Masters


Contender		 Q Stat
16.03.2026		 Games
need 40		 Peak (games)
Jul to Oct		 Peak (games)
Nov to Feb		 Peak (games)
Mar to Jun

David Eldar 		2163.0066 2229(49)2097(17)

Andrew Fisher 		2013.0057 2008(32)2018(25)

Cameron Farlow 		1943.00107 1930(66)1956(41)

Edward Okulicz 		1940.50127 1911(68)1970(59)

Jakob Teitelbaum 		1921.50*19 2043(19)1800(0)

Naween Fernando 		1919.0056 1931(39)1907(17)

Peter Kougi 		1911.5014 1923(7)1900(7)

Ayorinde Saidu 		1904.0047 1919(32)1889(15)

Esther Perrins 		1833.00103 1806(68)1860(35)

Josh Watt 		1831.50*34 1871(26)1671(0)1892(8)

Ryan Sutton 		1806.50100 1836(68)1777(32)

Trevor Halsall 		1804.0090 1794(68)1810(15)1806(7)

Joanne Craig 		1802.50145 1858(89)1747(56)

Bob Jackman 		1778.50177 1807(110)1797(59)1755(8)

Rod Talbot 		1765.50176 1746(95)1785(81)

Max Mason 		1745.7562 1754(34)1749(12)1740(16)

John Spaan 		1739.5083 1709(34)1755(41)1747(8)

Nick Ivanovski 		1739.0050 1761(26)1715(18)1740(6)

Michael Hornung 		1732.75*8 1582(0)1797(4)1776(4)

State Challenge


Residency:
At this stage Ryan Gray represents QLD (60 games as QLD and 8 games as ACT).
At this stage Katie Rowe represents WA (6 games as VIC and 39 games as WA).
At this stage Keri Heart represents NSW (18 games as QLD and 110 games as NSW).

Contender		 Q Stat
16.03.2026		 Games
need 40		 Peak (games)
Jul to Oct		 Peak (games)
Nov to Feb		 Peak (games)
Mar to Jun
ACT1
Ronnie Bennett 		1727.0082 1759(57)1695(25)
ACT2
Noel Barrett 		1689.0084 1725(52)1729(24)1651(8)
ACT3
John Hamilton 		1667.50106 1661(81)1674(24)
ACT4
Tim Reddan 		1402.7589 1390(41)1411(40)1405(8)
ACT5
Lexia Smallwood 		1381.0096 1388(26)1374(70)
ACT6
Alex Boiko 		1364.5038 1407(33)1322(5)
NSW1
Victor Tung 		1732.0043 1704(19)1760(24)
NSW2
Tony Hunt 		1700.00178 1806(92)1676(78)1659(8)
NSW3
John Holgate 		1696.50145 1697(69)1696(76)
NSW4
Graeme Lock Lee 		1572.5059 1495(26)1591(25)1602(8)
NSW5
Dianne Brumby 		1564.5082 1573(68)1556(14)
NSW6
Garth van Vliet 		1561.00119 1608(68)1514(51)
QLD1
Carmel Dodd 		1669.75202 1673(112)1710(74)1648(16)
QLD2
Karen Richards 		1609.75242 1708(134)1637(91)1547(17)
QLD3
Paul Richards 		1553.75228 1536(119)1569(93)1555(16)
QLD4
Jane Brown 		1525.5052 1567(44)1484(8)
QLD5
Ryan Anderson 		1506.00*16 1606(16)1406(0)
QLD6
Julie Brice 		1487.00*62 1587(62)1387(0)
SA1
Daniel Piechnick 		1726.7563 1712(24)1757(23)1719(16)
SA2
Adam Kretschmer 		1671.7533 1748(6)1733(11)1603(16)
SA3
Tony Miller 		1649.7547 1646(24)1657(7)1648(16)
SA4
Jane Taylor 		1571.50158 1693(126)1557(16)1518(16)
SA5
Antony Kimber 		1439.7579 1497(40)1458(23)1402(16)
SA6
Oliver Jenner-O'Shea		 1422.50*5 1326(0)1519(5)
TAS1
Stephen Mooney Purse		 1701.5027 1703(18)1700(9)
TAS2
Jon Ford-King 		1578.0078 1545(44)1617(27)1575(7)
TAS3
Martin Rose 		1480.5045 1470(26)1491(19)
TAS4
Khen Meerding 		1415.5026 1409(4)1422(22)
TAS5
Margaret Webb 		1393.0012 1391(4)1395(8)
TAS6
Margaret Griggs 		1302.2586 1319(58)1298(21)1296(7)
VIC1
Oscar Ivanovski 		1712.00132 1728(61)1754(60)1683(11)
VIC2
Geoff Wright 		1607.75106 1593(43)1618(40)1610(23)
VIC3
Nat Podesser 		1531.7590 1524(69)1539(14)1532(7)
VIC4
Ray Alford 		1475.7521 1478(7)1467(7)1479(7)
VIC5
Chris Scholten 		1468.50*15 1517(7)1317(0)1520(8)
VIC6
Carol Johnsen 		1456.00104 1425(73)1477(24)1461(7)