St Kilda's Brown straight to AFL tribunal

Nathan Brown has been referred straight to the AFL tribunal for his heavy bump on Adam Saad during Essendon's defeat of St Kilda at Etihad Stadium.

Nathan Brown and Cale Hooker will likely be up for review after St Kilda's defeat by Essendon. (AAP)

St Kilda veteran Nathan Brown has been sent straight to the AFL tribunal over the savage bump that left Essendon's Adam Saad concussed.

Brown caught Saad unawares with a heavy bump late in the first term of Friday night's Etihad Stadium clash.

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

Play was held up for nearly five minutes as Saad was stretchered from the field.

He was sitting on the bench by the end of the game and there is some hope he might be available for Friday night's match against Richmond.

But even Saints coach Alan Richardson conceded the incident did not look good for Brown, admitting the bump "was late".

Essendon coach John Worsfold said the incident was "disappointing".

Meanwhile, Bombers tall Cale Hooker can accept a $1500 fine for misconduct on the Saints' Daniel McKenzie in the third quarter of the at-times spiteful affair.

He collected McKenzie high with a swinging arm, meaning Hooker's initial free kick was reversed.