The AFL officially announced the full list of 2022 free agents and each player's request band on Wednesday, with a fleet of key defenders graded as restricted prospects ahead of this year's trade period.

While still serving their respective deals at clubs across the nation, defensive trio Alex Pearce (Fremantle), Darcy Gardiner (Brisbane) and James Sicily (Hawthorn) have been categorised by the governing body as restricted free agents.

They are joined by the likes of Kane Lambert, Lance Franklin, Angus Brayshaw and controversial Magpie Jordan De Goey.

The marker laid down to meet the league's metric remains that a restricted free agent (RFA) must be in either their eighth or ninth season at their respective club, and must also be in their club's top 25% of earners.

Should a player have served a decade or more at a singular club, or is in their eighth or ninth season but falls outside the club's the top 25% of earners, they are eligible to be deemed as an unrestricted free agent (UFA).

According to league law which was drawn upon commencing the list management strategy at the end of the 2012 AFL season, rival clubs are able to make bids for RFAs - however, their current club is able to match these attempts to pry their stars loose.

FULL LIST OF 2022 FREE AGENTS 

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

Brisbane: Darcy Gardiner
Collingwood: Jordan De Goey
Essendon: Kyle Langford
Fremantle: Alex Pearce
Hawthorn: James Sicily
Melbourne: Angus Brayshaw
Richmond: Kane Lambert
Sydney: Lance Franklin

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

Adelaide

Ben Davis
Mitch Hinge
Taylor Walker

Brisbane

Ryan Lester
Daniel McStay
Mitch Robinson
Dayne Zorko

Carlton

Matt Cottrell
Ed Curnow
Oscar McDonald
Jack Newnes
Lochie O'Brien

Collingwood

Isaac Chugg
Mason Cox
Jamie Elliott
Jordan Roughead

Jamie Elliott during the 2022 AFL Round 1 match between St Kilda and Collingwood (Photo by Cameron Grimes / Zero Digital Media)

Essendon

Dyson Heppell
Michael Hurley
Alec Waterman

Fremantle

Bailey Banfield
Connor Blakely
Mitch Crowden
David Mundy

Geelong 

Luke Dahlhaus
Tom Hawkins
Shaun Higgins
Joel Selwood
Isaac Smith

Gold Coast

Levi Casboult
Charlie Constable
Jez McLennan

GWS Giants

Jarrod Brander
Matt De Boer
Lachlan Keeffe
Adam Kennedy
Daniel Lloyd
Zach Sproule
Jake Stein
Jacob Wehr

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 16: Matt de Boer of the Giants celebrates during the 2017 AFL First Semi Final match between the GWS Giants and the West Coast Eagles at Spotless Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Media/Getty Images)

Hawthorn

Jack Gunston
Kyle Hartigan
Daniel Howe
Ben McEvoy
Liam Shiels

Melbourne

Mitch Brown
Majak Daw
Jayden Hunt

North Melbourne

Ben Cunnington
Todd Goldstein
Kyron Hayden
Tom Lynch
Kayne Turner
Josh Walker

Port Adelaide

Karl Amon
Travis Boak
Trent Dumont
Robbie Gray
Sam Mayes
Trent McKenzie
Steven Motlop
Sam Skinner

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 25: Karl Amon of the Power kicks the ball during the round six AFL match between the Port Adelaide Power and the St Kilda Saints at Adelaide Oval on April 25, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)

Richmond

Trent Cotchin
Shane Edwards
Ben Miller
Bigoa Nyuon
Matthew Parker
Jack Riewoldt

St Kilda

Tom Campbell
Jarryn Geary
Darragh Joyce
Jarrod Lienert
Mason Wood

Sydney

Harry Cunningham
Robbie Fox
Josh Kennedy
Jake Lloyd
Paddy McCartin
Sam Naismith
Sam Reid
Lewis Taylor

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 09: Paddy McCartin of the Swans looks upfield as he prepares to kickduring the round four AFL match between the Sydney Swans and the North Melbourne Kangaroos at Sydney Cricket Ground on April 09, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

West Coast

Hugh Dixon
Shannon Hurn
Jamaine Jones
Tom Joyce
Josh Kennedy
Patrick Naish
Nic Naitanui
Jackson Nelson
Luke Shuey
Luke Strnadica

Western Bulldogs

Zaine Cordy
Bailey Dale
Caleb Daniel
Taylor Duryea
Jason Johannisen
Stefan Martin
Toby McLean
Mitch Wallis