Amid heightened concern about footballers' mental heath after the Majak Daw incident, the AFL is looking to make it mandatory for clubs to spend a certain amount on mental health experts under the football department cap.

AFL sources said that the league hierarchy would consider two possibilities to improve the way mental health and emotional wellbeing are dealt with by clubs - a reform that was already in the wind but has gained urgency after the North Melbourne player's incident on the Bolte Bridge this week.

Majak Daw is in hospital and will undergo surgery in the next 48 hours. Credit:AAP

The more likely change is that the AFL will make it compulsory for clubs to spend a certain dollar figure on a trained expert in mental health such as a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Clubs and the AFL were criticised on Tuesday for spending huge amounts on the physical conditioning of footballers but only a small fraction on their mental health, when player feedback suggests mental health is their No.1 concern in today's high-pressure AFL club environment.