THREE-and-a-half months after ASADA opened its case against 34 past and present Essendon players at the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal, there is only one certainty before Tuesday's verdict: uncertainty.

What are the possible outcomes on Tuesday?
There are three clear and obvious scenarios: all players are found not guilty; all players are found guilty; some players are found not guilty while others are found guilty. A fourth possibility is that the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority or World Anti-Doping Authority appeals a verdict of not guilty or it is not satisfied with the length of any suspension.

When will the verdict be known?
The Tribunal will sit from 2pm at AFL House, but there is no public or media access to the room, meaning a verdict will not be known until the hearing has disbanded. There could also be a delay after the hearing as all parties consult with legal representatives before making public comment. Most experts seem to think it could be a long day of waiting for any movement – unless the players are cleared. If that's the case, the Tribunal could make a public statement reasonably quickly.

What is alleged?
The 34 past and present Essendon players are accused of taking a banned substance, widely reported to be thymosin beta-4, during the club's 2012 supplements program. The man who led the program, Stephen Dank, claimed over the weekend that the peptide was not on the World Anti-Doping Agency's list of banned drugs in 2012.

Will suspensions be known on Tuesday if guilty verdicts are handed down?
Unlikely. It's expected that only guilt or otherwise will be known by the end of the day on Tuesday.

Will reasons be given for the decision?
Most likely. However, the Tribunal could simply provide guilty or not guilty verdicts, with its justification to follow later.

How long do the parties have to appeal?
There will be 21 days for the players to appeal their verdicts or the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority or World Anti-Doping Authority to challenge not guilty verdicts or if it deems penalties are not severe enough.

Who are the key players?
Tribunal chairman David Jones will make the ruling with his panel of former County Court judge John Nixon and ex-player Wayne Henwood, who is now a barrister. David Grace QC has represented 32 current and former players, with Neil Clelland QC representing two former Essendon players separately. ASADA has been represented by Malcolm Holmes QC.

What will the impact of a guilty verdict be?
Essendon could lose up to 18 players for the start of the season, meaning it would need keep its top-up players on the list. The club signed 13 players to represent it through the NAB Challenge, but their careers could be extended. They include former AFL players Clint Jones, James Polkinghorne, Mitch Brown, James Clisby, James Magner and Jared Petrenko.

How will the provisional suspensions help the players?
The Essendon players and those at other AFL clubs have been serving provisional suspensions since November 14, 2014, meaning any penalties will be backdated to that point. If they are handed a six-month ban, for example, they will be available for selection in mid-May.

Who plays Essendon early in the season?
With the prospect of a weakened list, the Bombers could be easy prey in the early rounds, providing valuable percentage boosts. In the first six rounds they play the Sydney Swans, Hawthorn, Carlton, Collingwood, St Kilda and Fremantle.

How have the Bombers already been punished?
In August 2013, Essendon was kicked out of the finals and fined $2 million for governance failures. The Dons officially finished the season in ninth place. They were banned from the first two rounds of the 2013 NAB AFL Draft and also lost prime selections 12 months on. Coach James Hird was suspended for 12 months while other key personnel lost their jobs. The players are yet to be sanctioned, but it could be argued losing their place in the finals would be viewed as punishment in itself.