As the debate around equalisation gathers pace, Finnis said there was "little integrity in a draft if that principle is not delivered on."
The players' ongoing support for the draft and the salary cap – central planks of equalisation – will come under pressure if the trend towards richer clubs having a greater chance of success continues.
The AFL circulated a discussion paper recently to frame debate around the issue and the clubs have responded ahead of a summit to be held on March 20.
With evidence suggesting a connection between on-field success and the amount clubs spend on football department resources, the AFLPA sees addressing the issue of equalisation and the related model for player payments as a priority in 2013.
Finnis told AFL.com.au that the players have as big an interest in the issue as any stakeholder in the game.
The AFLPA will be a key voice at the March summit and he believes it is an issue all stakeholders can work together on for a mutually beneficial outcome.
"There is an opportunity for the game to secure its future and to guard against a genuine risk that a resource gap widens which would undermine the evenness of the competition," Finnis said.
In the background is the five-year collective bargaining agreement, which is about to enter its second year. All parties committed to a significant review of the CBA being undertaken at the end of 2014.
Finnis said decisions made this year would be critical in maintaining an even competition in the future.
"I know it is a real concern to players because they know that when they come into the game through a draft there has got to be a confidence that regardless of what club you go to you have got a chance [of success]," Finnis said.
Geelong CEO Brian Cook recently called for an increase in the salary cap across all clubs as one way to minimise the gap between the expenditures on non-player items that clubs make.
"The objective should be to increase the capacity of the smallest clubs to pay the players more while, at the same time, reducing the capacity of the rich clubs to spend on non-player items," Cook said.
The presidents of financially successful clubs also met recently to discuss the issue from their perspective with the hope of taking a united view into the summit.
