AFL CLUBS appear to be making progress at creating environments that encourage a better work-life balance for their players, according to an AFL Players' Association survey.

Results from a survey - measuring the effect of mandated leave provisions within the current CBA - found the percentage of players expected to report back to their clubs during their annual leave had dropped from 41 to 23 per cent between 2013 and 2014.

It also found more players felt support from their clubs to use their mandated four-hour block away from the club each week to study or engage in another community based activity last year than they did in 2013.

The trend is encouraging for the industry after the work-life balance issue was put on the agenda as a priority for the AFL and the players' association at the end of 2012.

The results were contained in the annual AFLPA development and wellbeing report, which has been released in time for an international player development conference being held over two days in Melbourne this week.

The survey also found more players in 2014 rated their clubs positively as a supportive workplace that allowed time for study, relationships outside of football and mental breaks from the game.

AFLPA head of player development Brett Johnson told AFL.com.au the main aim of the annual survey is to initiate conversations between players and their clubs around the issue of player development and wellbeing.

He said it was achieving that objective and that the results from the survey were significant.

"It served its purpose in that clubs started looking at how they [players] were supported off the field." Johnson said. "It's about embedding player development as part of the footy program."

Johnson said the ability of players to make the most of the positive opportunities available to them was dependent on clubs having a culture and structure that supported them to make the most of their time in the game.

He said the players’ association now pushed the message that players should make the most of opportunities while in the game rather than being told to prepare for life after football.

"We're trying to elevate player development as a respected part of the footy program," Johnson said.

Johnson said the best clubs believe a positive culture created benefits rather than just avoided trouble.

As one AFL football manager told AFL.com.au recently in attempting to underline the importance of culture in attracting players via free agency: "players talk".

There has also been research measuring the link between culture and performance with the players' association believing the two are related.

"Clubs which have an environment where players don't feel like they can raise issues … sometimes the resentment can build up which has an impact on culture and therefore performance," Johnson said.

"[It's] important to us because players don't get a choice as to where they are drafted so it is about them having the same opportunities off the field as on."

The results come as some footballers' behaviour away from and within the game continues to be scrutinised.

Each club now has at least one full-time player development manager, with clubs required to allocate at least $120,000 of its non-player spend to the position under the new football department cap.

The results come just weeks after high-performance managers at AFL clubs expressed concern that the mandated leave requirements available to players were not flexible enough and they needed a seat at the table in such discussions to ensure work-life balance was maintained while high performance aims were achieved.

Carlton fitness coach David Buttifant made a presentation to the AFL occupational health and safety committee – set up during the recent CBA review – to suggest ways the leave arrangements might work better.

Johnson said the players' association wanted conversation on the issue of work-life balance to continue with all parties within football departments.

"When clubs do it well, player wellbeing is embedded into the club and a whole of footy department approach occurs," Johnson said.