The AFL and Richmond have exposed Nathan Broad as the player who distributed the photograph of a topless woman without her permission on the night of the grand final.



Broad, who had known the woman previously and had told her he had deleted the photograph at her request as soon as he had taken it, faces a significant punishment to be announced shortly by club president Peggy O'Neal. O'Neal and Broad made public statements on Monday.

The decision comes after weeks of negotiations with the woman, who has been traumatised by the affair, and her family and legal team who had fought to preserve her anonymity and feared naming Broad could expose her due to their previous relationship.

The woman's lawyers Maurice Blackburn confirmed Broad, the 24-year-old defender who played in the premiership victory, had previously known the woman who "believed there was a level of trust between them".

"She maintains that she insisted he delete the photo from his mobile phone as soon as it was taken, and that he assured her it had been," a statement read.