Geelong star Joel Selwood has warned AFL players could yet consider some form of on-field protest about the controversial new substitution rule.

It emerged this week that Essendon captain Jobe Watson had spoken to Western Bulldogs counterpart Matthew Boyd about a player sit down at the first bounce of Sunday's game.

Watson raised the idea with Boyd earlier this month at a meeting of AFL captains and AFL Players' Association delegates.

The proposal went no further, but there is reportedly growing discontent among players.

While there is some support among the players for the rule itself, players such as Watson are angry that there was no adequate consultation from the AFL before it was introduced.

"It (a protest) may occur throughout the year, it will be spoken about by the players," Selwood told Channel Nine's The Footy Show.

"It will be interesting to see what happens.

"We hope it doesn't come to that, you want to do everything the fans want you to do and go out and play good, hard footy.

"You have to look after yourself, too, being a player - who knows (what) it will come to."

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