With speculation beginning to surround the potential movement of Free Agents at season’s end, the Brisbane Lions can rest easy knowing that the majority of their senior players with eight or more years of experience are already locked into contracts beyond 2014.

The only Lions who feature on the 2014 AFL Free Agency list are veterans Jonathan Brown and Ash McGrath – both of whom are probably unlikely to switch clubs at this stage of their careers.

Jed Adcock, Daniel Merrett and Joel Patfull, all of whom are eligible for Free Agency, have all re-signed with the Club recently, effectively keeping them out of reach from potential poachers.

Meanwhile, clubs like Carlton (Bryce Gibbs), Fremantle (David Mundy), Melbourne (James Frawley), North Melbourne (Todd Goldstein), and Collingwood (Ben Reid) will be sweating on the signature of their respective stars throughout the season.

The Lions are still be working hard to negotiate new contracts for some of their young players – with Tom Rockliff and Jack Redden the most notable out-of-contract names – however they have not been in the AFL system long enough to be eligible for Free Agency.

Under the rules that were agreed between the AFL and AFL Players Association (AFLPA) in February 2010, restricted and unrestricted free agents may consider offers from rival clubs during the post-season period, following the 2014 Toyota AFL Premiership Season.

Under the AFL Player Rules, an unrestricted free agent may automatically move to the club of his choice. An offer to a restricted free agent may be matched by his club, which has right of first refusal over his services. If the restricted free agent player does not wish to remain with his original club, he must enter the draft or seek a trade.

Compensation in the form of AFL allocated draft picks will apply to clubs with a net loss of free agents, based on the formula determined by the AFL.

The full list of 2014 Free Agents as at the beginning of March was as follows:

Restricted Free Agents
David Mackay (Adelaide Crows); Bryce Gibbs (Carlton); Ben Reid (Collingwood); Heath Hocking (Essendon); David Mundy (Fremantle); Todd Goldstein, Lachlan Hansen (North Melbourne); Shannon Hurn (West Coast); Shaun Higgins (Western Bulldogs).

Unrestricted Free Agents
Jason Porplyzia, Ben Rutten (Adelaide Crows); Jonathan Brown, Ash McGrath (Brisbane Lions); Michael Jamison, Kade Simpson, Jarrad Waite (Carlton); Nick Maxwell, Tyson Goldsack (Collingwood); Dustin Fletcher, Leroy Jetta, Jason Winderlich (Essendon); Garrick Ibbotson, Luke McPharlin, Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle); Corey Enright, James Kelly (Geelong Cats); Brad Sewell (Hawthorn); James Frawley, Lynden Dunn (Melbourne); Leigh Adams, Michael Firrito, Brent Harvey (North Melbourne); Domenic Cassisi, Kane Cornes, Tom Logan, Paul Stewart (Port Adelaide); Shane Edwards, Jake King, Chris Newman (Richmond); Sam Fisher, Jarryn Geary, James Gwilt, Lenny Hayes, Clint Jones (St Kilda); Adam Goodes, Nick Malceski, Ryan O’Keefe, Lewis Roberts-Thomson (Sydney Swans); Sam Butler, Dean Cox, Darren Glass, Matt Rosa (West Coast); Matthew Boyd, Daniel Giansiracusa, Dale Morris, Robert Murphy, Tom Williams (Western Bulldogs).

HOW THE FREE AGENCY SYSTEM OPERATES

A player has served seven seasons or less of AFL football at one club, and is now out of contract.

The player is not eligible for free agency if his club wishes to retain him. He may only move clubs via a trade or the Draft. If he delists himself, he is subject to the Draft, and may be selected by any club.

A player has served seven seasons or less of AFL football at one club, and has been delisted by his club.

The player is a Free Agent and is eligible to field offers from all rival AFL clubs.

The player must decide on the best offer of his choice from one rival club.

The player can move AUTOMATICALLY to the new club of his choice.

His original club, which chose to delist him, does not receive any compensation pick for the loss of the player.

A player has served eight or more seasons of AFL football at one club, is one of the top 25 per cent highest-paid players at his club, and is now out of contract for the first time since March 1 in his eighth season. (Restricted Free Agent)

The player is eligible to field offers from all rival AFL clubs.

If he wishes to change clubs, the player must decide on the best offer of his choice from one rival club.

His club has the right to match the presented offer.

If the club matches the offer, he may choose to remain with his original club, seek a trade or enter the Draft.

If the club does not or can not match the offer, the player can move to the new club of his choice.

His original club will receive a compensation pick for the loss of the player, on an AFL-determined formula to apply where clubs lose more free agents than they gain in any single transfer period.

A player has served eight or more seasons of AFL football at one club, is NOT one of the top 25 per cent highest-paid players at his club, and is now out of contract for the first time since reaching eight seasons of service. (Unrestricted Free Agent)

The player is eligible to field offers from all rival AFL clubs.

If he wishes to change clubs, the player must decide on the best offer of his choice from one rival club.

His club does NOT have the right to match the presented offer, and the player can move AUTOMATICALLY to the new club of his choice.

His original club will receive a compensation pick for the loss of the player, on an AFL-determined formula to apply where clubs lose more free agents than they gain in any single transfer period.

A player has served ten or more seasons of AFL football at one club, has already come out of contract once in the period after March 1 in his eighth season, and is now out of contract. (Unrestricted Free Agent)

The player is eligible to field offers from all rival clubs.

If he wishes to change clubs, the player must decide on the best offer of his choice from one rival club.

His club does NOT have the right to match the presented offer, and the player can move AUTOMATICALLY to the new club of his choice.

His original club will receive a compensation pick for the loss of the player, on an AFL-determined formula to apply where clubs lose more free agents than they gain in any single transfer period.