2026 AUSTRALIAN MASTERS

Twenty of the top players will play the Australian Masters as a round robin in somewhere. 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
27.12.2025
Games
need 40
Peak (games)
Jul to Oct
Peak (games)
Nov to Feb
Peak (games)
Mar to Jun

David Eldar
2229.0049 2229(49)

Jakob Teitelbaum
2043.0019 2043(19)

Andrew Fisher
2008.0032 2008(32)

Cameron Farlow
1933.0091 1930(66)1936(25)

Naween Fernando
1931.0039 1931(39)

Peter Kougi
1923.007 1923(7)

Ayorinde Saidu
1919.0032 1919(32)

Edward Okulicz
1911.0068 1911(68)

Josh Watt
1871.0026 1871(26)

Esther Perrins
1821.5076 1806(68)1837(8)

Ryan Sutton
1805.5085 1836(68)1775(17)

Bob Jackman
1802.00127 1807(110)1797(17)

Joanne Craig
1794.50113 1858(89)1731(24)

Trevor Halsall
1789.0073 1794(68)1784(5)

Rod Talbot
1765.50127 1746(95)1785(32)

Nick Ivanovski
1761.0026 1761(26)

Oscar Ivanovski
1741.0075 1728(61)1754(14)

Adam Kretschmer
1740.5011 1748(6)1733(5)

Daniel Piechnick
1734.5035 1712(24)1757(11)

State Challenge


Contender
Q Stat
27.12.2025
Games
need 40
Peak (games)
Jul to Oct
Peak (games)
Nov to Feb
Peak (games)
Mar to Jun
ACT1
John Spaan
1732.0059 1709(34)1755(25)
ACT3
Noel Barrett
1727.0061 1725(52)1729(9)
ACT2
Ronnie Bennett
1727.0082 1759(57)1695(25)
ACT4
John Hamilton
1667.50105 1661(81)1674(24)
ACT5
Tim Reddan
1400.5056 1390(41)1411(15)
ACT6
Lexia Smallwood
1381.0055 1388(26)1374(29)
NSW1
Tony Hunt
1727.50116 1806(92)1649(24)
NSW2
Victor Tung
1726.0036 1704(19)1748(17)
NSW3
John Holgate
1680.5093 1697(69)1664(24)
NSW4
Garth van Vliet
1561.0085 1608(68)1514(17)
NSW5
Rocky Sharma
1503.0032 1503(32)
NSW6
Jyoti Chandna
1499.5059 1529(27)1470(32)
QLD1
Carmel Dodd
1691.50144 1673(112)1710(32)
QLD2
Sam Amarasinghe
1648.00*0 1648(0)
QLD3
Karen Richards
1635.50157 1708(134)1563(23)
QLD4
Ryan Anderson
1606.0016 1606(16)
QLD5
Julie Brice
1587.0062 1587(62)
QLD6
Paul Richards
1528.00151 1536(119)1520(32)
SA1
Max Mason
1731.0040 1754(34)1708(6)
SA2
Tony Miller
1651.5031 1646(24)1657(7)
SA3
Jane Taylor
1616.50136 1693(126)1540(10)
SA4
Antony Kimber
1477.5051 1497(40)1458(11)
SA5
Michael Vnuk
1424.0035 1460(29)1388(6)
SA6
Oliver Jenner-O'Shea
1422.50*5 1326(0)1519(5)
TAS1
Stephen Mooney Purse
1701.5023 1703(18)1700(5)
TAS2
Dianne Brumby
1573.0068 1573(68)
TAS3
Jon Ford-King
1571.5055 1545(44)1598(11)
TAS4
Martin Rose
1452.0031 1470(26)1434(5)
TAS5
Khen Meerding
1408.508 1409(4)1408(4)
TAS6
Margaret Webb
1393.008 1391(4)1395(4)
VIC1
Michael Hornung
1689.50*4 1582(0)1797(4)
VIC2
Geoff Wright
1603.5059 1593(43)1614(16)
VIC3
Nat Podesser
1524.0069 1524(69)
VIC4
Chris Scholten
1517.007 1517(7)
VIC5
Ray Alford
1478.007 1478(7)
VIC6
Kashi Thiris
1448.0026 1448(26)