PHIL Davis' decision to leave Adelaide for Greater Western Sydney does not sit well with Brett Ratten, but the Carlton coach remains hopeful it's not a sign of things to come.

Ratten, who played 261 games for the Blues including the 1995 premiership, is uncomfortable with the prospect of players being lured by the large sums of money on offer by GWS and with the onset of free agency. 

Although understanding of the financial realities at play, Ratten is steadfast in his belief that there's more to life, and AFL footy, than chasing the almighty dollar.

"When you finish in football money doesn't buy you success and premierships," Ratten says.

"I've been involved in it myself and having premiership reunions … they're something special in life. How do you put a price on that?

"You have your premiership medallion and people can give you $400,000, $500,000 or whatever for that medallion, but they're not having it. That's one thing in life that I can cherish as a person and money can't buy that."

Ratten has visited English Premier League clubs in his role as coach of Carlton and was struck by the level of distrust between player and club that works against the coach's goal of creating a unified team working together to achieve success.

"I'd hate us to go down that path where players play two years here, then two years there and four over there just because of the almighty dollar," he says.

"It becomes a real self-interest [exercise] - 'I'm the business and I'll just get the best deal for myself'.

"I hope we don't go down this path in the future.

"One thing that's been great about our game … is [players] don't leave their clubs halfway through the year, they don't put their hands up [to leave] - there is a lot more unity in the club in the AFL system.

"I know players change clubs for reasons and the clubs let them go … well that's fair enough to pursue their own careers, but if it's all about the almighty dollar then I think it's quite sad."

Ratten's notion of loyalty might seem a little old-fashioned to some, but he doesn't care. He's a great believer in the bond between player and club, but agrees there are turbulent times ahead.

"[That bond] will be really tested with free agency - it will be really tested," he says.

"It will be about loyalty and what the club can provide. I suppose it's about what you believe in and your philosophies as a person. It's about what your parents and you have done from an early age as a kid. I hope players really go through and look at what they want out of life.

"It's not just about now, but it's about when they finish the game as well."

Player advocates will quickly point out that blind loyalty from players whose careers can end very quickly and clinically at the whim of their club is hardly an equitable situation and Ratten agrees.

Clubs will need to work harder in the brave new world of free agency, but he sees that as a positive development.

"I think it does [need to] go back the other way," he says.

"There's no doubt about it.

"I think it might be a little bit more transparency from the club. Rather than saying 'He'd be a great depth player … we'll keep him', it might be time for the clubs to say 'We think you're only going to play eight or 10 games … it might be time for you to pursue something else'.

"I think it's a great challenge for players, player managers and the clubs themselves - to be really transparent on where they see a player's future.

"They've got to talk a lot more and have that conversation.

"No doubt if a player's been great to the club then I think clubs will really look after the player in the long term. I think [loyalty] will come back down the track as well."