AFL footballers have been so worn down by the demands of today's elite competition that many used an anonymous survey to report their sense of dread before resuming this season.

Filming of training is adding to the sense of burden on top of players' already acute consciousness that their every move is being recorded and analysed by someone.

The majority of the AFL's 800-odd footballers have confided in the AFL Players Association that they are not enjoying their jobs.

Nine months into his new CEO post, and in his first in-depth interview, Paul Marsh has expanded publicly for the first time on his deep concern that players in the richest and most popular sport in Australia are distinctly "jaded".