ESSENDON has reached an 'in-principle' compensation deal with 18 of the 34 players banned in the supplements scandal.

Last week the Bombers announced a $9.8million loss, which the club blamed largely on the four-year saga.

Law firm Slater and Gordon, which represented some of the players in their claims, confirmed an agreement had been reached but said details of the compensation would remain confidential.

"All issues in these 18 cases have been agreed in-principle and subject to the paperwork now being satisfactory and being executed by our clients, the matters will be formally resolved in the next several days,” lawyer Patrick Gordon said in a statement. 

"These players were innocent participants in the supplements program. They were given assurances that all supplements they were receiving had been approved from people who they thought they could trust. 

"No player at any time intended to breach their obligations under the AFL Anti-Doping Code and any such breach that occurred was due to the players being misled about the nature of the supplements they received. 

“They now hope to move on with their lives and careers, both within and outside the AFL. 

"The negotiations with the Essendon Football club have been complex and we acknowledge the constructive approach of the Essendon Football Club and in particular, its CEO Xavier Campbell in resolving these matters." 

Campbell said relevant parties had been operating in a complex landscape and he hoped outstanding claims would be resolved soon.

"We feel confident in the approach and we feel confident we will be able to settle all players in the coming months," Campbell said.

He said Essendon continued to work to resolve the issues in a prudent manner.