The AFL Players Association (AFLPA) has confirmed all 34 past and present Essendon players will appeal the Court of Arbitration of Sport's (CAS) judgement.
The CAS upheld the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) appeal of the AFL anti-doping tribunal's decision last year to clear the players of wrongdoing over the Bombers' 2012 supplements program.
The doping offences relate to the use of the prohibited substance Thymosin Beta-4.
The judgement laid the blame on the players for helping to hide the supplements program.
The AFLPA says its legal team has instructed Swiss lawyers to lodge the appeal papers with the Swiss Federal Supreme Court later today.
The basis of the appeal will be the Court of Arbitration for Sport erred in allowing a de novo (new) hearing when it heard WADA's challenge to the original AFL anti-doping tribunal verdict.
"The AFL Players' Association can confirm that all 34 current and past Essendon players have instructed lawyers to file an appeal against the CAS decision handed down on Tuesday 12th January," AFLPA chief executive Paul Marsh said in a statement.
Essendon will fund the legal appeal and it is anticipated the process will take up to six months to complete.
Marsh said the players did not seek an injunction to enable the players to take part in the 2016 competition.
He believes that even if there are further appeals by WADA, the players bans can not go beyond 2016.
"They are looking to confine this matter to 2016 and there is a risk that if they seek an injunction, this could drag into 2017," he said.
"This is about clearing their name, that's what's most important to the players and that's what we are focused on.
"Our understanding is the players will be available in 2017."
Essendon Football Club chairman Linsday Tanner on Wednesday confirmed the players had decided to launch an appeal against the ruling in the Swiss federal court, which had been widely expected.
He said the club continued to support the players in pursuing the appeal in an endeavour to clear their names.
Mr Tanner said the players had not sought an injunction against the suspensions and would ultimately have to serve out the one-year ban, regardless of the appeal proceedings, meaning the players would miss the 2016 AFL season.