MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 23: Steven Hocking, General Manager Football Operations of the AFL reads out picks during the 2018 NAB AFL Draft at Marvel Stadium on November 23, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)

There has been confusion by many players as a new rule introduced in 2017 may leave some players ineligible for the AFL mid-season draft. It is now up to the AFL to decide if they act on this issue and create a loophole in the rules.

All players must have had nominated for last year's national draft if they want to be drafted mid-season. However, several draft hopefuls believed their previous nomination was valid for three years.

Nominations for the mid-season draft close on Friday 3rd of May and some clubs are annoyed that this little-known rule may affect their draft process and decision-making.

The AFL now has the decision to either change their own rules on draft eligibility or leave many young hopefuls devastated and having to change course.

“No other sport in the world operates like this,” one club figure told the Herald Sun.

“Rules on the run … again," they said.

Football boss Steve Hocking has told disgruntled player managers he will look into the “anomaly”.

It may be a case of "rules on the run" as the AFL has to act quickly on whether they want to ignore the potential ineligibility of some players or stand behind the rule change.

Prospects new to the VFL, SANFL and WAFL are most-likely ineligible as they didn't bother to nominate for the AFL draft when playing in smaller or country leagues.

However, there may be a sigh of relief from some clubs as they could see it as the AFL poaching key players from their lists.

“It doesn’t give thought to the impact of other leagues by having players taken up to the AFL in the middle of the season," said SANFL chief executive Jake Parkinson told The Advertiser.

“It has the potential of derailing a club’s season."

They argue that it would make sense to continue with the current model of drafting at the end of the season. Understanding many of the top-tier players would like to follow their AFL dreams, but for them to pursue it once their current season has come to an end.

Players who do nominate for the mid-season draft should be wary that these nominations don't carry over to the 2019 NAB AFL Draft, an issue that likely won't appear again after this recent wave of concern.

An answer from the AFL will likely appear in the coming days as the cut-off date for nominations is Friday.