- On the move: The state of play
- Coaches have their say on player power
- 2015's free agency list as it stands
- How the northern football academies work

Fans are the cornerstone of our game. I'm reminded of it every time I hear the roar of the Richmond faithful. The players put on the show but ultimately it is the fans that give us the best game in the world. Without them we have nothing.

And from my experience what fans want is the chance to believe that success is just around the corner, that all the emotional investment they make in their team will be rewarded. At clubs we do everything we can to deliver that dream.

At the moment we have some elements in our game that make taking significant steps very difficult. Make no mistake, winning a premiership should always be difficult, and it is. However, there are some things that I believe need to be considered to ensure clubs are afforded every opportunity to deliver for their fans. It is then fairly and squarely up to clubs to prove they are good enough to grasp that opportunity.

I'm specifically referring to player movement mechanics, which I think will need some adjustment to ensure it is fairer for all clubs when it comes to list management.

Clubs currently have three ways to acquire talent: draft, trade and free agency. The draft is the only element that comes close to true parity. A player nominating for the draft cannot dictate the club of his choice.

Yes, it has been compromised in recent years but we all understand why and we all signed up for that. Our game needs to keep growing and that was a necessary requirement to deliver that outcome.

The biggest problem clubs that are battling to lift themselves from the bottom have is the time it takes to rebuild a list.

We draft kids at 17 and 18 who are not physically ready to play the game at a consistent level until their early 20s and then generally won't peak until around the age of 23-24 and beyond.

There is a significant difference between our draft and the NFL draft for example. NFL teams are drafting guys who come in and impact straight away because they have played four seasons of college football first.

Russell Wilson, who played for the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, is the team's star quarterback in his third season but turns 27 at the end of this year. Our boys in their third year are turning 21 and still trying to develop their bodies to play AFL football.

People shouldn't overlook the minimal advantage provided by draft for teams who finish near the bottom of the ladder. Sure they get first crack at the elite talent in the junior pathways but when these boys take the field they are one of 18 on the ground. The gap between the best teams and the poorest teams is far more than one good player, and as a result a team must stay at the bottom for a long time to rebuild their talent.

I'm not saying the draft is broken ­ it's perfectly fine - but it is clear to me that other adjustments need to be made to player movement mechanics to give clubs an opportunity to build quickly.

The draft was introduced for a reason ­ for talent to be evenly spread throughout the competition. At the age of 18 a player has no choice of where his football home is but once his first contract is up, or even before it is up, we have seen players hold clubs to ransom.

Basically they manipulate the player movement process to find a way to the club of their choice. Trade me or I will walk the following year and you'll get nothing. This leaves clubs vulnerable ­ they are essentially forced into doing a deal or potentially get nothing in return.

How can this imbalance be redressed? My view is that up until the time that players have earned the right to free agency, clubs should be able to trade players to clubs of their choice, not the player's choice. Naturally any exchange would need to ensure financial terms of existing contracts are honoured.

Players who have competed in the league for a significant period do deserve extra rights compared to their younger counterparts. They deserve the opportunity to consider their options, particularly given they operate in such a highly-regulated employment environment.

But until such time, clubs need more control in the interests of a more equitable competition. It will give clubs more options when it comes to developing lists and I think that is critical. Poorly performed clubs need to be able to get better quicker. Our draft just does not allow for this. We need to be innovative in other ways to make this happen.

The Seahawks were the first Super Bowl winner (2014) to win a playoff game in their following season for nine years. I think our fans deserve the opportunity to think they can realistically compete sooner rather than later.

A total of just six clubs have featured in the last seven Grand Finals. 

In the long-term a more competitive competition will better engage fans and drive revenues that will ultimately reward the players. Compromises therefore need to be made so everyone wins.