Collingwood midfielder Jarryd Blair says players are frustrated with trying to work out the difference between a fair and an illegal bump, but thinks it is too early to say there is no place for the bump in the AFL.

Blair told SEN radio on Wednesday morning it didn't seem right that players who applied a bump during a game were then worried the Match Review Panel might penalise them.

Geelong's James Kelly received two weeks from the MRP for engaging in rough conduct after bumping Essendon's Brendon Goddard on Friday night.

That decision was upheld at Tuesday night's Tribunal hearing prompting Kelly's teammate Joel Selwood to tweet "the bump is dead".

Blair said if players got everything right they could still bump, although it was now a risk.

"I think there is still a place for the bump," Blair said.

"It's just you have got to time it perfectly and if you go outside that you could be in a bit of strife.

"It's almost as though you have to play inside the rules and then some.

"You don't want to be too conservative but at the same time you don't want to have two weeks off like James Kelly has now."

Blair also said the egos of the Collingwood players had been stung by their inability to match it with the top sides so far this season.

The Magpies have won four of its first seven games but lost in disappointing fashion to Hawthorn, Essendon and Fremantle.

"We went into the season as players feeling that we were still going to match it with the best and obviously the first couple of months has proved that we're not up to it at the moment," Blair said.