Paul Marsh, who will take the reins of the AFLPA in September, also reiterated his support for a pay model that ties player salaries to growth in the game, which AFL players were unable to secure in their last round of negotiations with the league.

"I’m certainly a huge advocate for players receiving a fixed share of revenue because it entrenches players as genuine partners in the sport with motivation to grow it for the benefit of everyone. Furthermore it works," said Marsh, who finished his role with the Australian Cricketers Association last Friday.

"When the ACA and Cricket Australia reached their first memorandum of understanding in 1997 one of the goals of both organisations was for cricket’s top-paid player to equal the top-paid AFL player. Seventeen years later the top-paid cricketer is earning nearly three times the top-paid AFL player, not to mention what cricketers can now earn from the likes of IPL, endorsements et cetera. Australian cricket’s finances have also never been healthier so I believe it is a genuine win-win model."

David Warner, Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin recently joined captain Michael Clarke in the top bracket of Australian cricketers, and will earn about $2 million in 2014-15. The AFL had five players earning a million dollars or more in 2013, down from eight the previous year.

Geelong coach Chris Scott has been one of the most vocal critics of free agency, calling for the system to be scrapped because it "flies in the face" of equalisation and erodes player loyalty.

Marsh defended the system and said its critics had glossed over the reasons for the gap between strong and weak teams.

"The fear expressed by some clubs seems to be based on the view that free agents will look to leave weaker teams to join stronger teams because of the greater chance of success. I find it interesting that so little of the debate is focused on why the gap exists between the stronger and weaker teams in the first place and what the industry should do to fix this fundamental problem," Marsh said. "Would the fear of players leaving the weaker clubs be there if the gap between top and bottom was sustainably marginal rather than substantial? It is my genuine belief that free agency will showcase the need, and drive the change, for competitive balance in the game."

Marsh's record suggests that he will also fight for better support for past players, having secured $1 million a year from cricket World Cup revenue for a personal and game development program. "I see this as of great benefit to the sport. We have been able to organise them [past players] to help develop the game ... pay them the respect they deserve and provide them with some income opportunities along the way."

He was not ready to comment on issues such as the ideal length of the season, or the specifics of how free agency could be revised, before he starts his new job.