Essendon has begun settling its compensation claims with the 34 past and present players banned as a result of the 2011-12 drug program that was run by the club.
Fairfax Media understands an estimated three and possibly four footballers who played at the club during that time have reached agreements with the club following a series of highly sensitive and costly negotiations.
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However, two players facing the biggest payouts in former captain Jobe Watson and Port Adelaide's Paddy Ryder remain in negotiation with Essendon in talks being overseen by the AFL's legal boss Andrew Dillon and run by club chief Xavier Campbell.
Ruckman Tom Bellchambers, who recommitted to the Bombers earlier this year is understood to have settled with the club for a low six-figure sum estimated at between $150,000 and $250,000.
![Tom Bellchambers is understood to have settled with Essendon for a low six-figure sum.](/web/20160916104445im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/g/h/y/l/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.grghyv.png/1473857633896.jpg)
Bellchambers is a client at Craig Kelly's TLA, which handles the affairs of 14 of the 34 players banned for a year in January. Up to four TLA players are believed to have settled, with the Bombers' legal bills this year placed at close to $2 million. The club is predicting a high multi-million loss this year.
Only Watson and the retired Dustin Fletcher still remain suspended and can return to normal football activities next week due to their International Rules involvement at the end of 2014.
Watson, who has returned to training with a large group of the banned players, will meet the club's chief executive Campbell this week and is expected to make a call on his future in talks with coach John Worsfold before the end of next week.
Kelly's clients are being represented by Holding Redlich. The influential player agent told Fairfax Media last year that the medical scenarios being faced by the players was "scary ... it's a disgrace what happened to them at the club". Another senior Bomber banned until Wednesday, Michael Hurley, broke down in an interview with Channel Nine last week as he described the impact of the drug scandal upon him.
All player managers contacted by Fairfax  said they remained confident the compensation claims would be settled by December. Both Campbell and Dillon said they were bound by confidentiality agreements.
Ryder, Angus Monfries, Melbourne's Jake Melksham, the Bulldogs' Stewart Crameri, St Kilda's Jake Carlisle and Greater Western Sydney assistant coach Mark McVeigh are among those whose settlements will include compensation for loss of earnings in 2016.
The banned players remaining on Essendon's list have been paid by the club despite being banned this year. However, all of the 34 have varying claims relating to physical and emotional trauma, the damage to their reputations and financial losses in marketing and promotional areas.