Interim AFLPA boss Ian Prendergast on Thursday moved to counter arguments that free agency had watered-down player loyalty and created an uneven, ''two-tier'' competition.

He said industry figures had been too quick to judge the concept based on a handful of big-name moves in its first two years and ignored numerous examples where players had used the model as intended.

Prendergast also claimed fears about the regularity of players moving clubs since the introduction of free agency in 2012 had been overblown, revealing that less than 20 per cent of eligible free agents have moved clubs.

Fears over how free agency will change the game reached new levels this week after Geelong coach Chris Scott called for the concept to be scrapped because it was counter-productive to the league’s push for equalisation.

Adelaide forward Taylor Walker also expressed his dislike for free agency, saying it"takes a lot of loyalty out of the game'', and the length of service for players to become eligible is not long enough.

Prendergast said commentary around free agency's effect on player movement had been unbalanced, and said loyalty would always be a factor in football, regardless of how the concept evolved.

''This is what true loyalty is - staying at a club when you can otherwise leave, rather than staying because you have no genuine choice,'' he  said in a letter to fans published on the AFLPA website.

''If clubs create the right culture and ensure their players are happy and well looked after, they have nothing to fear.

''For every Lance Franklin that opts to leave, there are others - Travis Cloke, Bryce Gibbs, David Mundy, for example - who stay put. People tend to remember those who have changed clubs, but not those that have overlooked free agency.''

A sharp increase in players switching clubs through a variety means, not just free agency, during the past two seasons has contributed to the growing perception that player loyalty is dying.

More than 40 players swapped teams during the last trade and free agency period (including delisted free agents), and that followed a big jump in player movement in 2012 - the first of year of free agency.

In some cases, compensation picks received for the loss of free agents have allowed clubs to trade for another player from a rival club, thus adding to the movement of players.

While the fluid movement is an encouraging sign for players looking for change, supporters and commentators have expressed mixed feelings.

Prendergast warned the public from forming their view based on two seasons when marquee players such as Franklin, Dale Thomas, Nick Dal Santo and Brendon Goddard moved clubs, predicting that this year’s free-agency period was "looking to be the quietest yet".

Melbourne key-position player James Frawley looms as the biggest free-agency target.

''Fifty-seven free agents appeared on the AFL’s official list when it was released in March, but re-signings and retirements have since whittled that number down to 29 [early this week],'' Prendergast said. "Given all but one on the list are unrestricted free agents ... the list is likely to shrink further by season’s end.''

Prendergast said some industry figures had overlooked the group of lower-profile players who had moved clubs to revitalise their careers, often shifting to a team further down the ladder to get more opportunity.

An analysis of the 17 players who have made the decision to change clubs via free agency (not including delisted free agents) shows that nine selected a club that finished lower on the ladder than their original club.

There have been only seven instance where players have left their club to join a rival that finished in the finals in the previous season:  Danyle Pearce (Fremantle), Jared Rivers (Geelong), Clinton Young (Collingwood), Colin Sylvia (Fremantle), Matt White (Port Adelaide), Franklin (Sydney) and Quinten Lynch (Collingwood).

Skewing the debate is the fact that high-profile players such as Franklin and Goddard have had a significant impact at powerful clubs.

But the AFLPA believes the opportunity free agency has given players such as Sylvia, Chris Knights, Troy Chaplin, Brent Moloney and Xavier Ellis, among others, has also been significant - not to mention other delisted free-agent success stories such as Melbourne's Daniel Cross and Sydney's Tom Derickx.

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick on Thursday gave voice to the measured assessment of the debate, saying he could see potential for the concept to improve greater competitive balance between clubs.

But he stressed the current model needed changing to ensure middle- to lower-tier clubs did not suffer by missing out on top players.

''This is the problem because at the moment there are destination clubs, and trying to get quality players to go to clubs that are lower on the ladder and, believe me I’ve been there - Richmond, 2010, Luke Ball is an ultimate example,'' he said.

''There was no way that he was coming to the Tigers when we were at the bottom of the ladder. So we need to fix that.

"Free agency is here to stay, but we have just got to make sure that we do it properly. At the moment, I think we are half-pregnant, we’re not quite getting it.''