FOOTY fans remain sceptical about the free agency system, with less than a quarter of supporters believing it is working.
The finding was part of an extensive survey conducted for AFL.com.au and the AFL Record, with a large portion of fans (43.86 per cent) saying it was too early to tell if free agency was achieving its goals.
When asked if free agency was working, more supporters said it was not (32.46 per cent) than it was (23.69 per cent).
The AFL and the AFL Players’ Association agreed on the rules for free agency in 2010 to give players another vehicle to transfer from one club to another.
Supporters were definitive that it was not evening up the competition (55.83 per cent), with only 10.10 per cent believing it was.
More than 23,000 supporters took part in the survey, providing insights on how they view the state of the game, the supporter experience and the AFL's players, coaches and clubs.
Survey shows fans are back into food at the footy
Free agency has been a hot topic since it was introduced at the end of the 2012 season, and supporters also gave their feedback on how clubs are compensated for losing players to free agency.
The majority still believe clubs should receive compensation (70.94 per cent), but fans were divided on top-four clubs signing free agents, with 43.68 per cent saying they should be excluded from the market.
Adelaide star Patrick Dangerfield looms as the biggest fish in this year's free agency pool, and the majority of fans believe he won't be at the Crows next year (67.67 per cent). Geelong was the popular tip for his next home (57.01 per cent).
Fans were reluctant to add more avenues for player movement, with only 21.88 per cent saying they would like a mid-season trade period.
The remaining supporters surveyed were divided between leaving the rules as they are (38.93 per cent) and allowing clubs to sign free agents from state leagues as a compromise (39.19 per cent).
Hawthorn won the race to secure free agent James Frawley in last year's trade period. AFL Media
