GOLD Coast defender Steven May has been handed a five-match ban by the Tribunal on Tuesday night, with the judiciary taking a stand on head-high bumps and concussion. 

May, who fronted the Tribunal in person in Melbourne, pleaded guilty as charged and admitted he had "made the wrong decision" to run past the ball and bump Brisbane Lions ruckman Stefan Martin in Saturday's QClash.

In a testy hearing that lasted 90 minutes, the 22-year-old invited the Tribunal to hand him a significant penalty by pleading guilty to making "severe" impact to Martin's head.

He said he had intended to "block" Martin so teammate Gary Ablett could win possession and at no stage had he intended to injure the Lions' ruckman, who suffered concussion from the hit.

"I reckon I probably could have picked up the ball, but it was because 'Gaz' and Stef were about to contest the ball that I decided to bump," May told the Tribunal.

"I just decided that they're running with the ball and if I could take Martin out and block him 'Gaz' would have a free run at the ball.

"It was the wrong decision."

Tribunal recap: The Steven May verdict as it unfolded

When leaving AFL House, May said he had received a fair hearing and hoped Martin, who remains in some doubt for this week's clash against the Western Bulldogs, was OK.

"I've let down my teammates, the members and the supporters and for the next five weeks I'll do everything I can to help out around the club and get myself right and I just look forward to getting back out there," he said.

May won't return until round 10, missing matches against North Melbourne (home), Geelong (away), Melbourne (home), Greater Western Sydney (away) and Adelaide (home).

Tuesday night's case set a new precedent for head-high bumps, with the Match Review Panel's severe impact grading standing up because of the concussion suffered by Martin.   

A medical report from the Brisbane Lions said X-rays confirmed the ruckman had suffered no facial fractures and the club hoped he would be passed fit to play this week.

May gave evidence that he had not realised his bump had collected Martin high until he saw it replayed on the Gabba screens.

He told the Lions players who were remonstrating with him to "do what they need to do because I have no case here, I stuffed up". 

May also apologised to Martin immediately after the game, attempted to phone him the following day and eventually had a text message exchange with the ruckman, who accepted his apology and told him "not to beat himself up".

Despite pleading guilty to the charge, the defender's lawyer Tony Burns built a case that the impact of the bump had been made greater because Ablett pushed May towards the contest.

AFL counsel Jeff Gleeson QC argued that the hit was "at the upper end of carelessness (and) you could mount an argument that it would comfortably fit into intentional".

Gleeson recommended a base sanction of no less than five weeks and urged the Tribunal to consider "the frightening prospect of a very serious spinal injury" when reaching its penalty.

The hearing became tense when Burns objected to the suggestion that May's bump could be considered intentional.

"That's the most unfair thing I've ever heard put in this Tribunal … I ask you to reject it," May's lawyer said.

Tensions finally boiled over when Gleeson QC raised a provision in the Tribunal guidelines that the jury is able to re-classify an offence if it does not agree with the MRP's findings.

Gleeson QC said he wished to remind the jury that they could find May's conduct to be intentional, rather than careless, because of this provision.

Burns says such a move would be "grossly unfair".

"Let's all start moving the goal posts after we have submitted a guilty plea," he said.

Chairman Ross Howie told the jury of Wayne Henwood, Shane Wakelin and Stewart Loewe that it was a matter for them. They eventually took 10 minutes to reach their final penalty of five matches.

Suns defender Steven May faces the media at AFL House. Picture: Getty Images