Port Adelaide is unsure whether hardman Byron Pickett can adjust his playing style to the AFL's "current environment" after a two-game suspension for rough conduct was upheld on appeal.

The Power was bitterly disappointed when Pickett, last year's Norm Smith Medallist, was suspended by the tribunal on Tuesday night for a late bump on Carlton's Simon Wiggins.

Football operations manager Peter Rohde said the club was still struggling to come to terms with the decision.

A submission on Port's behalf by prominent South Australian criminal lawyer Mark Griffin, which lasted more than 90 minutes, failed to sway the appeals board.

"We're still probably a little bit unclear about the collision and, comparing it to other collisions as people do very regularly, it's very hard to draw a line as to what's permissible and what isn't," Rohde said after Thursday's hearing.

"I suppose we as a club have to go back and look at that and maybe try and get it clear in our own heads.

"We came on Tuesday night very confident that Byron wouldn't be suspended and he was, and now the appeals process has gone to its end and they've found him guilty as well.

"Obviously we need to look at what is legal and what is illegal contact, because we've got a wrong view of that or perhaps other people have."

Coach Mark Williams said Pickett could now be "unemployable", given the attention paid to his physical playing style, with this week's suspension following a six-game ban in the pre-season.

Rohde said the club would seek to train Pickett to adopt a new playing style, but was not certain whether he could make the necessary changes.

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