In a statement on Monday afternoon, Australian Crime Commission chief executive John Lawler confirmed he had received a request from the AFL and NRL about contacting the clubs.
"I have granted permission for both codes to confidentially notify the specific clubs within their respective codes that were identified in Project Aperio," Mr Lawler said.
"Once notified, a club may choose to make it publicly known that they have been notified."
But the AFL said the ACC statement did not change the advice that it had been given, and that it could not specifically identify particular circumstances. The AFL is still awaiting clarification.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said earlier on Monday he had sought to clarify the League's legal position with the ACC.
"We are doing our very best to be transparent on these issues, but it's a special set of circumstances and we must comply with the parameters being put upon us by the Australian Crime Commission and its legislation," he said.
