RICHMOND utility Jake King will miss the clash with Melbourne on Saturday afternoon after failing to have his one-match suspension overturned by the AFL Tribunal.

King tried to have the severity of the charge downgraded, but was unsuccessful.

He was charged with a Level Two striking offence against Brisbane Lion Ash McGrath during the first quarter of the clash at the Gabba on Saturday night.

The incident was assessed as reckless conduct, low impact and high contact, and attracted 184.35 demerit points and a one-match ban from the match review panel when a previous poor record - King had been suspended four times in the past three years which led to a loading increase of 40 per cent - and 9.35 carry over points were taken into account.

King's poor record meant the sanction could not be reduced with an early plea, and the Tigers decided to take the matter to the Tribunal where the club's legal counsel, Michael Tovey QC, unsuccessfully argued the conduct was negligent rather than the more severe assessment of reckless.

"I'm disappointed with the outcome," King said as he left the hearing at Etihad Stadium.

"I would have liked to have played this week. Hopefully the boys can get over the line without me.

"I'll be thinking of them."

Vision of the incident was shown during a hearing that lasted approximately an hour and 15 minutes and McGrath was called to give evidence over the telephone.

The Lions' utility could not recall the exact moment when he suffered the injury that saw him leave the field under the blood rule and receive two stitches, according to a club medical report introduced into evidence by Tribunal legal counsel Andrew Tinney SC.

King did not testify in his defence at the hearing, but told AFL investigator Graeme McDonald that he and McGrath had been wrestling each other in a show of strength before the opening bounce. McGrath said during his testimony that the pair had been wrestling and exchanging jumper punches in a bid to try and "show who was boss".  

Richmond's legal team contended that vision of the incident was inconclusive, as was McGrath's testimony, but the tribunal consisting of Richard Loveridge, Wayne Henwood and Wayne Schimmelbusch delivered a guilty verdict after 15 minutes of deliberation.