Francis, who played for AFL clubs Port Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane, is facing a total of 29 charges in the South Australian District Court.

The 31-year-old today pleaded not guilty to all charges and will face trial next year.

Francis, who played 109 AFL games between 1991 and 2001 before a knee injury ended his career, pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape.

He also pleaded not guilty to three charges of threatening life, eight counts of common assault, six counts of aggravated assault, six counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of threatening to cause harm.