ADELAIDE
Free agents: Chris Knights, Michael Doughty (unrestricted)
Update: Neither player has been re-signed yet, but the club will speak to their managers within the next month to start negotiations. Doughty could well retire at season's end, so Knights would be the only real target of other clubs. At just 25, Knights would be a valuable acquisition to a rival side. No reported interest yet, but his goal sense and ability to work further up the ground would be attractive.
Potential targets: With Adelaide's list in such good touch and certainly on the improve, don't expect the Crows to get too involved in free agency this year. If Knights goes they could look to bring in Angus Monfries from Essendon but, despite growing up a Crows supporter, it's unlikely he'd want to leave Melbourne.
From the club: "I wouldn't have thought we would be big players, but you never know. If a couple of players drop out we might have a look at who's available." - Crows football manager Phil Harper.
- Harry Thring

» Montagna the key free agent

BRISBANE LIONS
Free agents: Jed Adcock, Josh Drummond (restricted), Simon Black, Jonathan Brown, Ash McGrath (unrestricted)
Update: The club is desperate to keep its free agents and is close to re-signing Adcock. Talks have also started with Drummond and McGrath and are expected to be signed off on by season's end. Brown and Black have one-year options at the end of this year and won't be going anywhere.
Potential targets: The gaping hole in the Lions' list is a sidekick for the ageing Brown and tall defenders to help Daniel Merrett and Matt Maguire as their youngsters develop at both ends. Travis Cloke's price-tag would bust the salary cap, so Fremantle's Luke McPharlin and West Coast's Quinten Lynch would fit nicely.  
From the club: "We've got a young list, we're comfortable with how they're developing as a group, we'll assess the free agency landscape at the back of the year and take it from there." - Lions national talent manager Rob Kerr
- Michael Whiting

CARLTON
Free agents: Heath Scotland (restricted), Jordan Russell, Bret Thornton (unrestricted)
Update: Scotland will be 32 when the next season starts, but he's just about played himself into a new one-year deal. Russell has played just six games this year after a tough run with injury in 2011 and might be tempted to seek greater opportunity elsewhere. Thornton appears out of favour at Visy Park, but at 29 (next season) his age might be a deterrent in the free agent market.
Potential targets: Coach Brett Ratten has flagged Carlton's interest in pursuing Travis Boak should he decide to leave the Power and return home to Victoria. The star onballer would come with a considerable price tag, but Ratten believes his club could stretch its salary cap that far should an opportunity arise. If they do have that sort of space, many Blues fans would love to see the club have a crack at Brendon Goddard, who would likely have been a Blue from the outset if not for salary cap breach penalties in 2002. The club would love to lure Travis Cloke, but is resigned to him coming to terms with Collingwood.
From the club: "We still probably need another power forward and we probably need another inside mid. I think if you asked 16 or 17 other clubs they'd probably say the same thing. [We have] the capacity to be aggressive." - Carlton football manager Andrew McKay
- Jason Phelan

COLLINGWOOD
Free agents: Travis Cloke, Harry O'Brien (restricted), Ben Johnson (unrestricted)
Update: Fremantle has offered Cloke a five-year deal and he has said all along he wants to remain a Pie but negotiations continue. O'Brien says he's prepared to take a pay cut to stay while Johnson wants a 14th season. At 31, it's hard to see him doing that anywhere else.
Potential targets: The Pies have been open about how they'll be pressed to fit their current unsigned players under their salary cap, let alone go shopping for new ones. Ruckman Mark Jamar would have been worth a look before he re-signed with Melbourne, given Darren Jolly's age, and if Cloke goes, perhaps Quinten Lynch.
From the club: "There's still a few boys we're working to fit in and all of those guys understand the lay of the land and there's not a lot of movement that can happen from our side of things," - Magpies coach Nathan Buckley.
 - Jennifer Witham

ESSENDON
Free agents: Ricky Dyson, Dustin Fletcher, David Hille, Nathan Lovett-Murray, Mark McVeigh, Henry Slattery (unrestricted), Angus Monfries, Brent Stanton (restricted).
Update: Essendon is yet to sign any of its free agents - restricted or unrestricted - but the futures of Fletcher, Hille, McVeigh and Lovett-Murray are likely to be decided at the end of the season. Slattery and Dyson will also be jostling for spots on the list. Stanton and Monfries would obviously create some interest among rival clubs but have told the Bombers they want to stay and are in negotiations. If pushed, Hille would help a rival club on the verge of a premiership that is in need of an experienced ruckman.
Potential targets: Given the Bombers' young and impressive list, it's unlikely they are too interested in many free agents. St Kilda utility Brendon Goddard would give Essendon the extra class it needs to be a true contender, and it would be able to afford him, but there are few other free agents likely to make the Bombers too excited.
From the club: "We're very intent on getting our list signed up. We have to get our players signed as quickly as we can. If there's any money leftover, which I doubt there will be, then we'll go looking. But our priority is our own players and developing those players." - Bombers coach James Hird said earlier this year.
- Callum Twomey

FREMANTLE
Free agents: Ryan Crowley, Antoni Grover, Luke McPharlin (unrestricted).
Update: Crowley returned to the midfield this season and revived his career, but contract negotiations have not been productive and may not resume until the end of the season. Grover, who has struggled to break into the back six, and McPharlin are nearing the end of their careers and are unlikely to leave Fremantle. McPharlin's form is worthy of a new contract if he chooses to play on.    
Potential targets: Fremantle's interest in Magpie Travis Cloke is well known, with an offer on the table worth more than $1 million a season. Ross Lyon's former club St Kilda has list management issues and players like Brendon Goddard and Leigh Montagna could be 'gettable' for Fremantle, which clearly has salary cap space. It is unlikely the Saints will retain all of their uncontracted players, and reuniting with Lyon could be seen as the best option for some.  
From the club: "We have been planning and preparing for free agency for some time. We are well placed with respect to free agency and as part of our process have met with all player managers who have players who qualify for restricted free agency and non-restricted free agency." - Freo chief executive Steve Rosich
- Nathan Schmook

GEELONG
Free agents: Shannon Byrnes, Paul Chapman, Corey Enright, Josh Hunt, Steve Johnson, Matthew Scarlett, David Wojcinski (unrestricted).
Update: All of Geelong's free agents are elder statesmen around Simonds Stadium and none of them are expected to defect to a rival club. Chapman, 30, and Johnson, 28, are currently negotiating new contracts, while 33-year-old Scarlett has not made up his mind about whether he wants to play on next year. Wojcinski, 31, and Hunt, 30, are also expected to contemplate retirement at the end of the season. What the future holds for Byrnes is unclear. He is only 28, but has played only four senior games so far in 2012.
Potential targets: With its premiership window closing, Geelong has stated it will aggressively target free agents. The club's ability to lure players will depend on how many of its ageing stars retire at season's end. If three or four veterans decide to hang up their boots, the Cats will have plenty of room in their salary cap. Another key factor is the club's pursuit of Port Adelaide midfielder Travis Boak. If Boak, who is not a free agent, decides to move to Simonds Stadium, the Cats will have much less cash to throw at other potential recruits.
From the club: "Everyone knew, with a lot of notice, what the situation was going to be, and every single club is prepared for free agency and the freer movement of players. Every single club in the competition at the moment is talking to players from other clubs." - Cats coach Chris Scott.
- Adam McNicol

GOLD COAST
Free agents: No players qualify
Potential targets: With its pursuit of Adelaide's Kurt Tippett still on, Gold Coast is hunting for a key position player to help its young list. Saints defender Sam Fisher, Eagles forward Quinten Lynch or Queenslander Luke McGuane (Richmond) would complement its list.
From the club: "Free agency is another method of getting players to your club like drafting or trading. We're continually analysing all of our options and at this time of year we're very particular at analysing our own list, the draft pool and the broader AFL pool. We'll keep our options open and look at all avenues." - Gold Coast list manager Scott Clayton
- Michael Whiting

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
Free agents: No players qualify
Potential targets: The Giants have some key targets that have already been identified - namely a ruckman and a key defender. Dean Brogan will turn to full-time coaching at season's end and they would love an experienced player to add to Jonathan Giles and Andrew Phillips. There just aren't many available, especially now that Robert Warnock has re-signed with Carlton. Will Minson could be a nice fit if they could pry him away from the Bulldogs. In terms of defenders, Bret Thornton, Ben Johnson or Jason Blake could fit the bill. Helping the Giants' cause, they are halfway through a two-year window where they can sign one player from each club, with plenty of options still available.
From the club: ''We need ruckmen and we need key backs. We'll go for a ruckman. We need another ruckman or two. And we're going to play all our current players and at the end of this year, we'll make decisions on their careers or where we're going to focus and where they're going to learn to play during the off-season. When the recruiting staff come to us at the end of the year and say, 'what do you actually need?' We're going to know." - GWS coach Kevin Sheedy.
- James Dampney

HAWTHORN
Free agents: Chance Bateman, Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell, Thomas Murphy, Michael Osborne, Clinton Young (unrestricted), Brad Sewell (restricted).
Update: Hodge and Mitchell have exercised one-year contract options, taking them off the list for this year. Talks with Sewell's management are in progress. Murphy and Young could be interesting cases.
Potential targets: Few, if any, of this year's remaining free agents would hold appeal to Hawthorn. Their first priority will be to re-sign existing players and extend Lance Franklin's contract (due to expire at the end of 2013), in order to keep him off next year's free agents list.
From the club: "Free agency opens up our ability to recruit marquee players. We think we're a destination club for other players, so it's something that [recruiting manager] Graham Wright and his team are constantly working on. We're developing new strategies around recruiting, so we think we've got that area well covered." - Hawks president Andrew Newbold.
- Mark Macgugan

MELBOURNE
Free agents: Brent Moloney (restricted), Matthew Bate, Lynden Dunn, Brad Green, Jared Rivers, Mark Jamar (unrestricted).
Update: Jamar signed for three years, Green is contemplating whether to play on or retire, while Rivers is happy to let the season unfold. Bate is happy with the club's direction while Dunn has not declared his hand. Moloney is playing VFL and many suspect he will have potential suitors but he has said publicly he wants to stay at Melbourne.
Potential targets: Has room under the salary cap to add players and needs experience. Quality individuals with successful records or competitive natures will be the targets. It makes Geelong and St Kilda's line-up interesting and players such as Hawthorn's Clinton Young could add outside run. However Melbourne is more likely to want players in the 23-year-old range who are at successful clubs, yet seeking more opportunities to play senior football.
From the club: "The club is investigating the opportunities that free agency presents and all of our decisions are made in line with our list management strategy." - list manager Tim Harrington.
- Peter Ryan

NORTH MELBOURNE
Free agents: Brent Harvey, Michael Firrito (unrestricted).
Update: It seems almost inconceivable Harvey or Firrito would leave North for another club. Harvey has been on one-year contracts for several seasons but, at 34, has been in good enough form to play on. Firrito, who turns 29 in November, has an option in his current contact guaranteeing him another year if he meets certain performance criteria. Given he has been one of North's most consistent performers this season, Firrito has almost certainly earned that extension.
Potential targets: North has the salary cap room to make a play for an A-grade target and St Kilda midfielder Leigh Montagna would add class to its onball division, However, Montagna will be 29 next season and North might prefer to focus on Adelaide's Chris Knights and Hawk Clinton Young, 26 and 27 respectively next season. Both would add an extra dimension to North's kicking, while Young's outside run would also appeal.
From the club: "Our philosophy over the past five years has been about getting as many draft picks in and developing them as best we can. And that philosophy will continue to be the primary way we go about things. But (list manager) Cam Joyce and (recruiting manager) Bryce Lewis are speaking to player managers every day of the week. So with free agency it will just be a case of what, if anything, those boys come back to the table with." - North football chief Donald McDonald
- Nick Bowen

PORT ADELAIDE
Free agents: Troy Chaplin, Danyle Pearce (restricted), Domenic Cassisi, Brett Ebert, Steven Salopek, Jacob Surjan (unrestricted)
Update: The Power re-signed Cassisi in March, so it's likely he will end his career at Alberton.With Surjan and especially Ebert entering the twilight of their careers, most expect them to remain at the Power next year. Richmond has been linked to Chaplin in recent times, although the Power maintain they're in negotiations to re-sign him. Salopek's form and run of injuries at SANFL level will likely ensure 2012 is his last on an AFL list, but Pearce shapes as the biggest question mark. He hasn't re-signed and would command strong interest from rival clubs. His pace and skills would compliment any side and he might benefit from a fresh start.
Potential targets: The Power need more class on their list so free agency might see them make several plays.  Essendon's SA natives Angus Monfries and Henry Slattery could be fine acquisitions, although Slattery has only played one game this year. Hawthorn's Clinton Young would add to Brad Ebert and Matthew Broadbent in the midfield, while cross-town rival Chris Knights would slot straight into the Power's starting 22.
From the club: "We have to worry about the players we have here, but we'll also target the players who we think are coming into free agency and who will complement us." - Power coach Matthew Primus.
- Harry Thring

RICHMOND
Free agents: Nathan Foley, Luke McGuane (restricted), Kelvin Moore, Shane Tuck (unrestricted).
Update: There's been no reported interest in this four from other clubs. Foley would have his admirers but his history of Achilles injuries might ward off suitors. McGuane is only 25 but his currency is low, while Moore and Tuck are too near the end of their careers to attract interest. It would surprise if any of this quartet were to leave the club for another through the free-agency system.
Potential targets: Richmond’s priority is to develop young talent, so it's unlikely to make a huge play for anyone towards the end of his career. Apart from the obvious target of Brendon Goddard, the player who just might attract the Tigers' interest is Brisbane Lions defender and midfielder Jed Adcock, who would add flint to a team that's still a bit flakey.
From the club: "Like every other club, we'll certainly look at the players available, but that's something we'll keep indoors." - Tigers coach Damien Hardwick
- Paul Daffey

ST KILDA
Free agents: Sam Fisher, Brendon Goddard, Jason Gram (restricted), Jason Blake, Raphael Clarke, James Gwilt, Lenny Hayes, Justin Koschitzke, Stephen Milne, Leigh Montagna (unrestricted).
Update: Fisher and Gwilt have signed new contracts with the Saints, while Montagna has indicated he is not far from following suit. Goddard is the main domino that has to fall as he has been linked to GWS and recently Fremantle. He would be on the biggest money of any of the players on the Saints' free agency list.
Potential targets: The Saints will have their work cut out keeping their own out-of-contract players but they'd be mad not to actively seek a key defender. Richmond pair Luke McGuane and Kelvin Moore haven't had much of a look in at Tigerland and could be cheap acquisitions.
From the club: "The free agency list is certainly no surprise to us as a football club. As we’ve said all along, there is a reality to free agency. We’ll just continue to build really strong relationships with our players. Our players are really passionate about playing at our football club." - Saints coach Scott Watters.
- Luke Holmesby

SYDNEY SWANS
Free agents: Jude Bolton, Jarred Moore (unrestricted), Jarrad McVeigh (restricted)
Update: The Swans had just three names on their list before Jarrad McVeigh, their only restricted free agent, signed a three-year extension this month. Bolton's form comfortably warrants another one-year deal and, if that doesn't eventuate, he'll retire. That leaves Moore, a member of the leadership group who is yet to play a senior match this year. It wouldn't surprise if he decided to test the market for more opportunities.
Potential targets: Renowned for their knack of finding diamonds in the rough and re-launching stalled careers, the Swans are unlikely to be major players in the first free-agent period. They have decent depth, with a key forward their most likely deficiency, but they believe Sam Reid will solve any shortfall there in the coming years. But they also won't be standing still as the landscape continues to change.
From the club: "There's no doubt [free agency] is going to change footy a bit. I'm not sure how much just yet. It will evolve over three or four years and you have to keep your eye on that, not just one year. I don't want to go into specific targets, but your list has always got to get better. You're never in a position where you sit back and you're satisfied and you don't do anything. Players get older or you get injuries, so you're always on the look out." - Swans coach John Longmire.
- James Dampney

WEST COAST
Free agents: Sam Butler, Andrew Embley, Darren Glass, Daniel Kerr, Quinten Lynch, Mark Nicoski, Matt Rosa (unrestricted)
Update: Lynch is the only remaining West Coast free agent to have attracted rival interest, with Melbourne reportedly keen on luring the powerful forward east. Lynch, however, has stated his preference is to remain in Perth, with a second premiership his priority. Contract talks are yet to begin with Lynch, but his manager expects them to take shape in the next fortnight. Nicoski and Embley have been sidelined for much of this season through injury and are not expected to leave West Coast if they play on. Darren Glass, Daniel Kerr, Matt Rosa and Sam Butler have all re-signed with the club. 
Potential targets: The Eagles' list does not have holes in it that would be addressed through free agency, and any potential targets would fit into the age profile of the club's young midfield. Keeping its talented group together is the club's priority and the over-riding concern with salary cap decisions.    
From the club: "We'd be aware that these players could attract interest from rival clubs through free agency and negotiations started with them early. There are iconic players within the football club and you'd like them to be attached to the club for their entire careers". - Club statement
- Nathan Schmook

WESTERN BULLDOGS
Free agents: Lindsay Gilbee, Ryan Hargrave, Will Minson (unrestricted)
Update: Despite the development of young big men Tom Campbell, Jordan Roughead and Ayce Cordy, Minson has enjoyed his best season and, in his prime, is still very much a required player. Greater Western Sydney is reportedly interested in the 27-year-old. Veterans Hargrave and Gilbee want to play on but the Dogs might sacrifice one or both. In that event, Gilbee has said he would consider playing elsewhere.
Potential targets: Highly unlikely, but the Dogs need midfield speed and class (Essendon's Brent Stanton, Port Adelaide's Danyle Pearce, West Coast's Matt Rosa), defensive dash (Collingwood's Harry O'Brien) to allow Bob Murphy to play forward; another key defender (Melbourne's Jared Rivers, Port Adelaide's Troy Chaplin) and a medium-sized forward (Melbourne pair Lynden Dunn and Matthew Bate).
From the club: "Our over-arching recruitment strategy is to draft and develop our own players. We would, however, like other clubs, explore other options provided it's the right fit for the club"-  Bulldogs football manager James Fantasia
- Ben Collins

The views in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs