The Western Border league club's coach Brad Sinclair said yesterday he expected the players - all of whom are close friends of Lions' star recruit Mal Michael - to sign up.

The deal is still to be finalised, almost three weeks after Sinclair and Michael met with the players in Melbourne.

Sinclair said he thought it would have been made official sooner, but one of the players had not told his former club about his journey west.

"He has been away with work," Sinclair said.

"We're hoping we'll have something next week."

Sinclair would not name the players. He said they retired from the AFL three and five years ago and two of them started their elite sports careers with Michael at Collingwood.

Michael's career spanned 238 games and three clubs. He is best known for playing in Brisbane Lions' 2001, 2002 and 2003 premierships.

The AFL recruitment is hoped to lift the flagging fortunes of Heywood, which failed to win a game last season.