St Kilda veteran Nathan Brown will miss the start of the 2019 season after he was slapped with a three-game ban for rough conduct by the AFL tribunal.

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

The Saints argued Brown’s actions weren’t intentional at Tuesday night’s hearing, but the jury took eight minutes to find him guilty and hand down the suspension.