SANFL clubs are furious at Essendon going behind their backs with direct approaches to players to recruit them for the NAB Challenge competition and fear the loan will extend into the premiership season.

Club chief executives have been called to a meeting with the SANFL on Wednesday where they will be briefed on the situation and how they have been dragged into the Essendon drugs saga.

On Tuesday night Essendon announced the Eagles’ Jared Petrenko and North Adelaide’s Mitch Clisby had verbally committed to join its squad for the pre-season competition. Yet the Eagles immediately refuted the news and said no agreement had been reached.

Norwood football manager Mark Ross also confirmed the Bombers had inquired about one of his players who he declined to name.

It’s believed the inquiry may have been about either defender Alex Georgiou, ruckman Sam Baulderstone or midfielder Matthew Panos. Baulderstone trained with Essendon in the lead up to the 2013 draft but was overlooked.

The Advertiser believes SANFL players have been offered $2000 a week, plus match payments and accommodation, and they are required to be in Melbourne by Friday.

North Adelaide chief executive Greg Edwards was scathing that at 5pm when Essendon announced it had secured Clisby, the club had still not been contacted by the Bombers.

But Edwards stressed it was no fault of Clisby - who was delisted by Melbourne and returned to North Adelaide over summer - and the Roosters would release him.

“This morning Mitch Clisby gets a phone call from (list manager) Adrian Dodoro from Essendon without talking to us, in fact he still hasn’t spoken to the club,” Edwards said.

“Mitch came straight to us and said ‘look Essendon have approached me, they want me to play NAB Cup games and maybe stay over.

“Clisby said ‘I don’t know if I’ll be back because it might go into the start of the season.

“We don’t support the fact that an AFL club can go and pick up one of our players in February, one of our leaders and take him over there, and we don’t have a date when he’s back.

“It’s an absolute farce that you can take players out of a competition like ours, it’s just degrading our competition, it’s just despicable.”

Woodville-West Torrens coach Michael Godden said he was disappointed that Essendon had contacted Petrenko - who returned to the Eagles after being delisted by the Crows last year - before speaking with the club.

While the Eagles won’t stand in Petrenko’s way, Godden is concerned the arrangement may be longer than just the pre-season if Essendon players are banned.

“We know Essendon contacted Jared (Petrenko) because Jared told us, and Essendon contacted us after the event,” Godden said.

“But we actually don’t know anything in terms of details.

“As a football club we would not stand in anyone’s way to better themselves, but the club and player’s best interests must be protected.

“And right now we have zero information.”

Asked whether he could confirm details of Essendon’s reported contract offer to state league players, Godden said he could not comment because he did not know.

Essendon has been granted permission by the AFL to sign two players from any state league club for the pre-season competition to fill the void of players currently under investigation for its 2012 supplements program.

Norwood football manager Mark Ross was contacted by Essendon just before 4pm on Tuesday about one of his players who he declined to name.

Ross said the approach was only preliminary but the Redlegs would not stand in the player’s way if the offer became official.

He said the Redlegs understood the loan would only be for one month, although they accepted there was a risk that it could extend into the premiership season and it was not an ideal situation for the reigning premier.

“If a player is desperate to play in the AFL and they see this as an opportunity then we’re not going to stand in their way,” Ross said.

Glenelg president Nick Chigwidden said to his knowledge, none of his players had been approached, but if they were the club would be hesitant to release them.

“We’d be reluctant to be any part of it,” he said.

“To be honest I struggle to see where the benefit would lie for us.”

Chigwidden said if the Bombers were targeting emerging young players the club may look at it more favourably but he struggled to see anyone other than Essendon benefiting by loaning players fresh out of the AFL system.

Essendon did not return calls to The Advertiser seeking comment.