PORT Adelaide coach Mark Williams believes the introduction of free agency in 2012 will favour the rich clubs and disadvantage those unable to compete with the price tag attached to the competition's more desirable players.
The Power had high draft picks at their disposal for each of the past two years but failed to lure a big-name recruit, mainly because their salary cap wouldn't allow for it.
On Friday, Williams said he feared free agency could make the situation even worse.
"I applaud the AFL for getting on with it. Free agency had been talked about for a long time and the AFLPA have been pretty adamant that it was going to happen," Williams said.
"I think the AFL has done a pretty good job with it. The only issue I have is for the clubs that don't have too much money. It's going to be more difficult for them than the teams with stacks of money.
"We don't feel at risk about our players [leaving]. We feel at risk about the inability to attract other players because you have to go over and above [the existing offer] and show exceptional differences [to convince a player to move] and that will be the difficulty."
Williams echoed midfielder Travis Boak's Thursday sentiments that the youthful, tight-knit nature of the Port Adelaide squad would encourage players to stay rather than chase bigger money at other clubs.
"Our team are feeling like we're on a very quick progression," he said.
"It means that the players that are here and incumbent are feeling like, 'Gee it's good to be in this group, let's keep together and let's keep it going.
"That holds a group together whether you're the richest or the poorest."