All AFL recruiting teams will have two weeks – starting from this Friday 4 October – to lure free agents from other clubs.

Hawthorn’s Lance Franklin remains the highest profile free agent, and seems headed for Sydney, with Dale Thomas (Collingwood) and Eddie Betts (Carlton) also dominating headlines.

Fortunately the Lions were able to re-sign 2013 free agents Daniel Merrett and Joel Patfull earlier this season, keeping them out of other clubs’ reach.

Meanwhile, veterans Simon Black and Jonathan Brown are both unrestricted free agents, but are yet to confirm whether they intend to play on in 2014.

The Lions were active during last year’s free agency period, securing the services of former Melbourne best and fairest Brent Moloney, who proved a more than handy pick-up.

The AFL Restricted Free Agency Offer and Unrestricted Free Agency Period Commences on Friday 4 October, and will close at 5pm on Friday 18 October.

Please find below a guide to how free agency work and who is available.   

CURRENT FREE AGENTS

Restricted Free Agents: Eddie Betts (Carlton); Dale Thomas (Collingwood); Lance Franklin (Hawthorn).

Unrestricted Free Agents: Simon Black, Jonathan Brown (Brisbane Lions); Heath Scotland (Carlton); Alan Didak (Collingwood); Paul Chapman, Joel Corey, Corey Enright, Josh Hunt (Geelong Cats); Max Bailey, Xavier Ellis, Brent Guerra, Michael Osborne (Hawthorn); Colin Sylvia (Melbourne); Tom Logan, Matt Thomas (Port Adelaide); Luke McGuane, Matthew White (Richmond); Dylan Addison, Daniel Cross, Daniel Giansiracusa (Western Bulldogs).

HOW FREE AGENCY WORKS

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 cannot 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.