GEELONG star Steve Johnson and Hawthorn premiership heroes Luke Hodge and Sam Mitchell head the list of 62 unrestricted free agents announced by the AFL on Friday.
Cats veterans Matthew Scarlett, Paul Chapman and Corey Enright are also on the unrestricted list, as are Brisbane Lions champions Jonathan Brown and Simon Black, West Coast skipper Darren Glass and St Kilda's Leigh Montagna.
They are all free to leave their clubs at the end of this season if they choose, without being traded or entering the NAB AFL Draft.
And some of the game's biggest names also feature among 19 restricted free agents, including Collingwood's Travis Cloke, Saint Brendon Goddard and Richmond's Brett Deledio.
Restricted free agents can field offers from other clubs, but their club has the opportunity to keep them by matching the rival offer.
Geelong, St Kilda and the Eagles have the most unrestricted free agents with seven.
Essendon and Hawthorn both have six.
Free agency will be introduced in the AFL at the end of this season.
It is designed to allow long-serving players who meet certain criteria to move between clubs with greater ease.
A player's free agency status depends on factors such as length of time at one club, contract expiry and pay.
Read a full explanation of free agency here
Clubs who lose players to free agency will be compensated with draft picks.
The free agency window will open on October 1 and run for three weeks, overlapping with an extended three-week trade period, which closes on October 26.
Adelaide Crows
| Player | Type of Free Agency |
|---|---|
| Michael Doughty | Unrestricted |
| Chris Knights | Unrestricted |
Talking points
Should be a relatively pain-free year for the Crows, who have stars Scott Thompson and Nathan van Berlo signed to contracts beyond this season.
Brisbane Lions
| Player | Type of Free Agency |
|---|---|
| Jed Adcock | Restricted |
| Simon Black | Unrestricted |
| Jonathan Brown | Unrestricted |
| Josh Drummond | Restricted |
| Ash McGrath | Unrestrcited |
Talking points
Very hard to see Brown or Black playing anywhere else. Adcock may appeal to rivals, and likewise Drummond, despite his injury woes. But the Lions have the right to match offers to both.
Carlton
| Player | Type of Free Agency |
|---|---|
| Heath Scotland | Restricted |
| Jordan Russell | Unrestricted |
| Bret Thornton | Unrestricted |
Talking points
Jordan Russell's unrestricted status after only eight years' service means he's not in the Blues' top 25 per cent of earners. Sure to attract interest.
Collingwood
| Player | Type of Free Agency |
|---|---|
| Travis Cloke | Restricted |
| Ben Johnson | Unrestricted |
| Harry O'Brien | Restricted |
| Heath Shaw | Restricted |
Talking points
Speculation surrounding Cloke will be huge until he signs. With salary cap pressure, he'll have to accept less to stay.
Essendon
| Player | Type of Free Agency |
|---|---|
| Ricky Dyson | Unrestricted |
| Dustin Fletcher | Unrestricted |
| David Hille | Unrestricted |
| Nathan Lovett-Murray | Unrestricted |
| Mark McVeigh | Unrestricted |
| Angus Monfries | Restricted |
| Henry Slattery | Unrestricted |
| Brent Stanton | Restricted |
Talking points
Little drama on the unrestricted list. Hille could appeal to a club needing a ruckman, but the rest are in the twilight of their career.
Fremantle
| Player | Type of Free Agency |
|---|---|
| Ryan Crowley | Unrestricted |
| Antoni Grover | Unrestricted |
| Luke McPharlin | Unrestricte |
Talking points
Big names Matthew Pavlich, Aaron Sandilands and David Mundy are all signed to long-term contracts, meaning there shouldn't be too much stress for Freo this year.
Geelong Cats
| Player | Type of Free Agency |
|---|---|
| Shannon Byrnes | Unrestricted |
| Paul Chapman | Unrestricted |
| Corey Enright | Unrestricted |
| Josh Hunt | Unrestricted |
| Steve Johnson | Unrestricted |
| Matthew Scarlett | Unrestricted |
| David Wojcinski | Unrestricted |
Talking points
Lots of big names on the list, but Byrnes might be the one to be most worried about. Still young, lots of talent, but in and out of the Cats' team last season.
Hawthorn
| Player | Type of Free Agency |
|---|---|
| Chance Bateman | Unrestricted |
| Luke Hodge | Unrestricted |
| Sam Mitchell | Unrestricted |
| Thomas Murphy | Unrestricted |
| Michael Osborne | Unrestricted |
| Brad Sewell | Restricted |
| Clinton Young | Unrestricted |
Talking points
Hard to see Mitchell or Hodge leaving, particularly while the premiership window is wide open. If Young struggles to break back into the line-up this year, he'll become an obvious candidate to move.
Melbourne
| Player | Type of Free Agency |
|---|---|
| Matthew Bate | Unrestricted |
| Lynden Dunn | Unrestricted |
| Brad Green | Unrestricted |
| Mark Jamar | Unrestricted |
| Brent Moloney | Restricted |
| Jared Rivers | Unrestricted |
Talking points
Ruckmen are always keenly sought after and Jamar is a good one. Happily for Demons fans, the big man has already announced that he wants to re-sign.
North Melbourne
| Player | Type of Free Agency |
|---|---|
| Brent Harvey | Unrestricted |
| Michael Firrito | Unrestricted |
Talking points
North will surely offer Harvey another season as long as he remains injury-free, while Firrito would have limited appeal outside Arden St, but great appeal within it.
Port Adelaide
| Player | Type of Free Agency |
|---|---|
| Domenic Cassisi | Unrestricted |
| Troy Chaplin | Restricted |
| Brett Ebert | Unrestricted |
| Danyle Pearce | Restricted |
| Steven Salopek | Unrestricted |
| Jacob Surjan | Unrestricted |
Talking points
Provided he can stay injury-free, former Dandenong Stingray Salopek might appeal to a Victorian club looking for an injection of class through the midfield. Pearce has been a disappointment since winning the NAB AFL Rising Star, and could do with a fresh start.
Richmond
| Player | Type of Free Agency |
|---|---|
| Brett Deledio | Restricted |
| Nathan Foley | Restricted |
| Luke McGuane | Restricted |
| Kelvin Moore | Unrestricted |
| Shane Tuck | Unrestricted |
Talking points
Deledio is making all the right noises about wanting to remain a Tiger, so look for him to re-sign well before the end of the season. Foley is another the Tigers would be looking to keep, but would be an excellent depth midfielder in a contending side.
St Kilda
| Player | Type of Free Agency |
|---|---|
| Jason Blake | Unrestricted |
| Raphael Clarke | Unrestricted |
| Sam Fisher | Restricted |
| Brendon Goddard | Restricted |
| Jason Gram | Restricted |
| James Gwilt | Unrestricted |
| Lenny Hayes | Unrestricted |
| Justin Koschitzke | Unrestricted |
| Stephen Milne | Unrestricted |
| Leigh Montagna | Unrestricted |
Talking points
It is all about Goddard down at the Linen House Centre. He says he wants to stay with the Saints, but Tom Scully used similar language this time last year and he now calls Breakfast Creek home. The Giants will surely have a crack.
Sydney Swans| Player | Type of Free Agency |
|---|---|
| Jude Bolton | Unrestricted |
| Jarrrad McVeigh | Restricted |
| Jarred Moore | Unrestricted |
Talking points
Not much for the Swans to concern themselves with. McVeigh won't leave his home city and Bolton might well be in his final season.
West Coast Eagles
| Player | Type of Free Agency |
|---|---|
| Sam Butler | Unrestricted |
| Andrew Embley | Unrestricted |
| Darren Glass | Unrestricted |
| Daniel Kerr | Unrestricted |
| Quinten Lynch | Unrestricted |
| Mark Nicoski | Unrestricted |
| Matt Rosa | Unrestricted |
Talking points
It is difficult to see many of these Eagles choosing to play elsewhere. Rosa, a product of the Victorian country, might be tempted back to Victoria with the offer of more dollars and tenure, but why leave a club that is firmly in premiership contention?
Western Bulldogs
| Player | Type of Free Agency |
|---|---|
| Lindsay Gilbee | Unrestricted |
| Ryan Hargrave | Unrestricted |
| Will Minson | Unrestricted |
Talking points
Minson can earn himself a new contract with a big season as the undisputed No. 1 ruckman at the club. But if he falls behind Ayce Cordy or Jordan Roughead in the pecking order, then it's uncertain if he would attract much interest from another club.
