ST KILDA will head to the AFL's Appeals Board on Wednesday night in another bid to get defender Ben Long off his one-match suspension.

The Saints challenged the Match Review Officer's original decision on Monday night at the Tribunal, but the challenge was tossed out after a 25-minute deliberation from the jury.

Long received a suspension for rough conduct after his bump on Western Bulldogs midfielder Jack Macrae (watch in the player below) was considered medium impact and high. He's in line to miss Friday night's cut-throat semi-final with Richmond at Metricon Stadium.

Should Long's second appeal be unsuccessful, the Saints will be forced into three changes with Paddy Ryder (hamstring) sidelined, while Jake Carlisle has departed the hub for the birth of his third child.

In coming to the decision on Monday night, the Tribunal jury (consisting of David Neitz, Richard Loveridge and Paul Williams) stated it was "surprised" Macrae got to his feet as quickly as he did after his head "snapped back, which indicated more than a glancing blow" from Long. 

It is Long's second suspension of the year after he received three games for a bump on Fremantle's Sean Darcy in round six. 

However, the previous hit (watch in the player below) didn't come into the jury's thinking. 

Jeff Gleeson QC, acting on behalf of the AFL, pointed to the momentum Long built up in coming off the line to collect Macrae in Saturday's elimination final at the Gabba. 

While the Dogs medical report showed that Macrae was only assessed briefly and was cleared to play on, Gleeson said there should be "strong consideration in potential to cause injury".  

Saints representative and club director Jack Rush QC cautioned the jury on buying into the "slippery slope" of that interpretation. 

He instead pushed the jury to only focus on the "concrete evidence" of the outcome that included no injury and the ability for Macrae to play out the match.