Collingwood will need to make history if they are to overturn the four-match suspension handed down to skipper Nick Maxwell by the AFL Tribunal.

Since the league's new demerit points system for on-field offences was introduced in 2005, clubs have lodged 10 appeals and none has been upheld.

The Appeals Board will convene at 9.30am (AEDT) on Friday to hear Maxwell's appeal against a four-match suspension after being found guilty of rough conduct.

Collingwood said on Wednesday they were appealing "on the basis that the decision was so unreasonable that no tribunal acting reasonably could've come to that decision having regard to the evidence before it".

Maxwell was charged by the match review panel after a bump on Patrick McGinnity in a NAB Cup match on February 7 left the young Eagle with a fractured jaw.

Collingwood argued unsuccessfully at the tribunal on Tuesday night that the incident was an "unfortunate" accident, with McGinnity's jaw broken by a clash of heads.

If the suspension stands, Collingwood will have extra motivation to extend their NAB Cup run as long as possible.

But even if they reach the pre-season grand final they would be without their new leader for the opening match of the home and away season against Adelaide on March 28.

Meanwhile, Melbourne coach Dean Bailey rejected the notion players would be in two minds about laying a bump on an opponent following Maxwell's heavy penalty.

Bailey said he had no need to remind his team to play within the rules and also defended the tactic as a crowd-pleasing facet of the game.

"If you just go after the ball you'll be okay," Bailey said. "The bump's going to exist anyway, you are always going to have some of those instances in the game.

"As long as you've got your head over the ball and you get the footy I think the game will continue to have some physical aspect.

"It's not a game you can be careful in. It's a physical contact game, everyone expects to see some physical contact in it.

"There is going to be some greyness in it but I think it also brings people to the game."

But North Melbourne defender Daniel Pratt believed players could be uncertain what to do in a split-second situation.

"It's definitely a touchy issue at the minute," Pratt said.

"It's becoming quite hard for players because you've only got two-tenths of a second to make a decision then change direction.

"It all gets watched in slow motion which makes it look a lot worse than sometimes it is."

But he doubted any players would change their style because of a hard line taken on certain contact situations.

"I'm sure it's the same with the other guys who play physically, if you change the way you've always played you're going to be a lesser player," said Pratt.

"I'm not going to change the way I go about it, I've just got to be more aware that the footy's the No.1 priority."

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