AFL.com.au understands clubs have been informed the rookie draft will be moved forward to Wednesday, November 27, which would eliminate the previous three-week gap between the drafts.
The NAB AFL Draft will be held on Thursday, November 21, at the Gold Coast Convention Centre.
As with recent years, it is expected the rookie draft will be held via teleconference.
In 2012, the pre-season and rookie drafts were held on December 11 while the national draft was on November 22.
It is believed during recent visits from the AFL, club football departments were made aware of the probable change, and club chief executives were also addressed about it at last week's conference at Creswick in rural Victoria.
A small delisted free agency window is likely to be opened between the drafts, so clubs can take stock of the players available and sign them ahead of the rookie and pre-season intakes.
The move has been under consideration for some time as clubs have lobbied for the time between the drafts to be reduced.
Many have viewed the longer gap as a hindrance, suggesting that when the national draft ends they just read the next names off their pre-ranked list of players.
Also, with more clubs heading on overseas training camps through the pre-season, newly-added players can often miss the trips because the rookie and pre-season drafts are generally held only two weeks before Christmas break.
It will also fit better with the League's recently announced new pre-season model for players.
Making for a busy time for recruiters, the AIS-AFL Academy will hold its training camp at the Gold Coast from November 21-28, with the most talented players of the next two draft pools on show.
Twitter: @AFL_CalTwomey
