ONE MONTH ago, Match Review Panel member Jimmy Bartel spoke about the clear distinction between "football acts and non-football acts" and how the latter should be dealt with in a harsher way in 2017.

They are words that should provide some comfort to Dale Thomas, Lance Franklin and Luke Shuey as they wait nervously for the Panel's findings after their respective incidents this weekend.

The MRP has been working overtime this season adjudicating on jumper and gut punches, and a crackdown on those "non-football acts" seems to have done its job.

But bumping remains a legal part of the game and all three players were involved in bumps or collisions of varying degrees in round 13 that will scrutinised by Bartel and his fellow members, presumably with the understanding that they were in play.

"It would be great if you had something you call football acts and non-football acts," Bartel said on RSN late last month.

"By that I mean when you're trying to execute a football act and something goes wrong, as we talk about sling tackles or shepherding, spoiling, it's graded in a certain way.

"Things like punching are not a part of our game, so obviously that table would be significantly higher … which is, I think, what people want."

There is no doubt Thomas's collision with Gold Coast's Adam Saad was a football act.

With the ball bobbling between the pair, they met at high pace, with Thomas choosing to protect himself and turning his back while Saad met him front on and came off second best.

It is open to the MRP to rule Thomas did not choose to bump and the collision was the result of two committed players. The Panel might also find the Blues forward had no realistic alternative way to approach the contest.

If it is deemed he bumped, Thomas would face a week on the sidelines, with impact likely to be graded as medium given Saad stayed down for a period and was then forced from the ground, eventually returning.

Adam Saad was left dazed after this bump from Dale Thomas. #AFLSunsBlues pic.twitter.com/Ka1Df7TJ3f — AFL (@AFL) June 17, 2017

Franklin's hit on Richmond midfielder Connor Menadue was also without doubt a football act. Players are allowed to bump but they must take responsibility if there is high contact.

The Sydney superstar, who was reported, chose to bump Menadue and made contact from front on while Menadue had his head over the ball.

Contact appeared to be high on the shoulder, not to Menadue's head, but it could still be in the region deemed by the MRP to be high under the forceful front-on contact rule.

Given Menadue was able to get straight up and take his kick, however, Franklin looks to only be at risk of a $1000 fine if he is charged.

Lance Franklin has been reported for this incident involving Connor Menadue. #AFLTigersSwans pic.twitter.com/xznwsXVYpJ — AFL (@AFL) June 17, 2017

And the Tiger has helped Franklin's cause when interviewed by Fox Footy on Sunday.

"I was all right (this morning), it was more my shoulder than my head," he said.

"I'm a bit sore but it's all right.

"I had a couple of mates send (the vision) to me and get into me a bit.

"I wasn't dazed or anything ... it was just an impact then it got a bit sore as the game went on."

Shuey, again, was involved in a football act when he ran past the ball to lay a bump on Geelong superstar Patrick Dangerfield way back on Thursday night.

With the ball no more than two metres away after a centre bounce, laying a bump on the game's leading clearance winner would have been smart – and legal – play from Shuey.

Unfortunately for the Eagles midfielder he made high contact and will pay the price, but presumably with a $1000 fine rather than a week on the sidelines.

A free kick was paid to Dangerfield and the Brownlow medallist was straight back on his feet to take the kick.

Patrick Dangerfield received a free kick following this bump from Luke Shuey. #AFLEaglesCats pic.twitter.com/4uHINNYYr4 — AFL (@AFL) June 15, 2017

Where the MRP had indicated it would take a harsh stance on jumper and gut punches, there is no such crackdown on bumps and Shuey's should fit into the low impact category.

From the same match, Geelong skipper Joel Selwood faces perhaps the most nervous wait of all after a clumsy strike into the back of Sam Mitchell's head.

Selwood was reported for the incident, which didn't appear to make a lot of impact, but would displease the MRP given contact was made with what appeared to be his right elbow or forearm.

Mitchell then came back at Selwood and swung his right arm to put him in a headlock in an incident most likely to be classified as wrestling.

Selwood's hit was clearly the more serious, but the lack of impact makes a $1000 fine the most likely outcome.

To suspend Selwood for one match the MRP would need to grade the hit as either intentional conduct and low impact, or careless conduct and medium impact.