St Kilda veteran Nathan Brown will attempt to limit the damage when he fronts the AFL tribunal over the savage bump that left Essendon’s Adam Saad concussed.

The 29-year-old was referred directly to the tribunal after he caught Saad unawares with a heavy bump late in the first term of Friday night’s clash at Etihad Stadium.

AFL match review officer Michael Christian assessed the contact as intentional conduct with high impact to the head.

With only two rounds left in the home-and-away season, Brown has almost certainly played his last game this year, but will be hoping his likely ban doesn’t extend into the 2019 campaign.

Saints coach Alan Richardson defended Brown on Fox Footy’s AFL360 on Monday, saying the act was out of character, and gave an insight into the club’s tribunal strategy.

“The debate will be intentional versus (careless),” Richardson said.

“I know what his intent was – it wasn’t to hurt someone.

“He didn’t run front on, he’s come from the side to check him, he’s absolutely done what he thought was the right thing to do, but the timing was out.

“I think we’ve got to be really clear on what his intent was.”

The hearing will take place at the AFL’s Etihad Stadium headquarters on Tuesday evening.

Adelaide could join the Saints as they mull whether to fight Taylor Walker’s two-game ban for rough conduct for a tackle which knocked out GWS star Josh Kelly.

The tackle was initially rewarded with holding the ball – the decision was reversed and he was penalised for a dangerous tackle when Kelly’s injury became apparent.

Christian classified Walker’s tackle on Kelly as careless conduct with high impact to the head.

“There are elements of a sling (tackle) … it was a dangerous tackle and then it came to a question of impact,” Christian told reporters.

“Clearly Josh Kelly was in a bad way … it took a long time for him to get from the ground.”