As for your title "AFL talks about equality", is untrue.
AFL talks about equalisation. The works are similar, but in this situation, have vastly differing meanings.
AFL and the clubs in it, realise that it is in the best interests of the game to ensure all teams are competitive and have a reasonable chance to build towards winning a premiership. EQUALISATION for the AFL is an attempt to make clubs more even (not equal). They do this by limiting the dominance of the strong clubs (later picks in the draft, salary cap, footy spending tax etc) and giving assistance to weaker clubs to improve(early draft picks, financial assistance)
It's unrealistic and undesirable to have all clubs EQUAL (same income, same location, equal members, shared sponsorship, equal teams), but equalisation is to make the league closer to even.