AFL makes major rule change to McClelland Trophy on eve of 2025 season

The AFL is again changing the rules around the McClelland Trophy (and the $1 million prize money that goes along with it).

7NEWS chief AFL reporter Mitch Cleary has revealed that the trophy and precious cash will now take in the finals, where previously had just been based on ladder positions at the end of the home and away season.

The trophy has existed since the 1950s and was once handed to the club with the best-performing (based on aggregate) under-19, reserves and senior teams.

It was then changed to award the AFL’s minor premiers (the team on top at the end of the home and away season) before changing again recently to include the clubs’ AFLW teams.

But since the last change (which rewarded the best club across the AFL/AFLW home and away season) problems have emerged.

Last year Brisbane won the AFL grand final and was runner-up in the AFLW, but missed out on the award and the cash.

Hawthorn won the million bucks, despite finishing seventh in the AFL and second in the AFLW (but did not make the AFLW grand final).

In 2023, Melbourne won the inaugural McClelland Trophy but the men’s team did not win a final that year.

Now, Cleary has revealed that the criteria is changing again, with a simple point system from 1-18 that will take in the finals.

“After finals, men’s and women’s teams will now be ranked 1-18,” Cleary said.

“The premier gets 18 points, runner-up gets 17, the wooden-spooner gets one point, etc.

“There are 36pts on offer.”

So if the men’s and the women’s team both win the grand final, that club will score 36 points, and guarantee them the cash.

“Hawthorn won the McClelland Trophy and the $1million bonus last year when it was purely based on the home and away season,” Cleary said.

“But under the new structure, Brisbane would’ve won with a combined 35 points ahead of Port Adelaide (31), Hawthorn (27), Geelong (24) and Fremantle (22).”