WHAT happens after a player nominates a club as his preferred destination?

1. The AFL receives the paperwork from the player's destination of choice.  The paperwork specifies the financial offer to the player and the length of the contract offer.

2. The player's club of origin is now on the clock. They have 72 hours from the official notification to consider whether to lodge a written offer matching the contract.

3. The player's club of origin doesn't have to formally respond for 72 hours. If they reach a decision one way or another sooner than that, they can inform the player, his club of destination and the AFL of their intentions.

4. After 72 hours the player will either be parading for the media in his new team's jumper, or considering other options. If his original club decides to match the offer, the player's choices are to remain with his club, seek a trade to the his preferred club of destination during the Gillette AFL Trade Period, which starts next Monday, or nominate for the NAB AFL Draft and find his way to his club of choice through that mechanism.

5. The AFL will publish a daily bulletin at close of business, formally advising clubs, the media and the football public of offers which have been made.

6. Should the player's club of origin decide not to match the offer, the compensation they receive from the AFL will be determined at the end of the free agency period, once the net effect of all movements in and out of the club during this period is known.

Click here for the Gillette AFL Trade period hub

Click here for Trade Machine

You can follow AFL Media senior writer Ashley Browne on Twitter @afl_hashbrowne.