North Melbourne co-captain Jy Simpkin has been ruled out of the club's round one fixture with GWS on March 16 as a result of the controversial bump from St Kilda's Jimmy Webster that left him concussed in a preseason match on Sunday.

North confirmed the Yorta Yorta star would miss the opener on Tuesday, shortly before Webster was due to face the AFL tribunal.

Webster's bump was deemed careless conduct, high contact and severe impact by the league's match review officer, forecasting a lengthy stint on the sideline for the 30-year-old.

The incident left Simpkin with his third concussion in a 12-month period, and prompted a colourful quarter-time verbal exchange from Kangaroos coach Alastair Clarke.

The Saints and Webster issued statements apologising for the hit, with Clarkson also addressing his behaviour at the break.

"Jy's health and well-being is our number one priority," North general manager of football Todd Viney said on Tuesday.

"Given Jy's concussion history, our medical team will take a conservative approach to his management and recovery as per the AFL's Concussion Protocols.

"Jy came into the club today, he's doing well and is in good spirits but his official return-to-play timeline is unclear at this point as it depends on his progress."

Calls to ban Webster for up to half the season have been heard from pundits and the public, with a preliminary decision due on Tuesday night.

Last week, Port Adelaide's Sam Powell-Pepper was handed a four-week suspension for his high bump on Adelaide's Mark Keane in a preseason practice match.