Star recruit Kurt Tippett and other Swans walk off the ground after the shock loss to Port Adelaide. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: News Limited
IT TOOK former Crows full-forward Kurt Tippett just 11 seconds to assert himself as he re-booted his football career at AAMI Stadium as Sydney's million-dollar man
He marked it outside of the 50m arc after leaving direct opponent Alipate Carlile behind and kicked the goal with local knowledge as the wind blustered behind him.
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And there, he is back. He looked to be in outstanding physical shape, had a tremendous presence and made life difficult for Carlile. Tippett handled the ball like a littleman at ground level, looked imposing every time the ball was coming into the forward are and worked hard up the flanks.
AFL - Port Adelaide v Sydney Swans, AAMI Stadium. fans for Kurt Tippett display their banner - standing with Alipate Carlile Picture: Reed Sarah Source:
His final statistics included 2.2 goals, six disposals and five tackles - which may not sound outstanding - but there were mitigating reasons.
For one, a wet day is not traditionally a tall man's stage and second, when the Power began hemming in the Swans in the second half his supply ran out.
The welcome from the crowd was underwhelming, regardless of whether you expected them to cheer him or jeer him.
A handful of people around the ground were dressed in Crows gear; none of them were there to barrack against Tippett. They were just football people who come each week, many of them with a season ticket in their pocket.
Tippett's bigger test will be how the audience reacts the next time Adelaide faces Sydney at home, which doesn't look likely until next year (the Crows are not likely to place higher than Sydney if they make the finals) or the one after that (in case the fixture have the two meeting just once next year and it is scheduled in Sydney).
What is clear is that Tippett and the Sydney coaching panel have handled his long time away from the game in a precise manner. As soon as he was eligible to play, he was in the senior side and he had an impact. But few clubs spend as much cash on a player to have him loosen up in the reserves.
Coach John Longmire, one who uses a measured tone, reckoned Tippett had done just as much as could have been expected.
AFL - Port Adelaide v Sydney Swans, AAMI Stadium. fans for Kurt Tippett display their banner - standing with Alipate Carlile Picture: Reed Sarah Source:
"I thought he was pretty good," Longmire said. "What did he get, 2.2? That's a reasonable return. I thought he looked pretty clean and the conditions were obviously difficult.
"But when he got his opportunities he was able to take a couple of marks and he was pretty good at ground level. He certainly wasn't the reason (Sydney lost). I think that was a bit further up the ground.
"There was no problems with his fitness. I thought he was okay today. For a bloke who has missed 12 weeks of footy I thought he was pretty good. He just wanted to get back and play."
Tippett, a ruckman-forward, was in attack. But Longmire will keep an open mind for the rest of the Swans premiership defence over where he is best suited.
It has been a unique situation. Not just for Tippett, who has spent more than six months on the sidelines training while fully fit, but also for his teammates.
But Josh Kennedy, one of Sydney's best players, said Tippett had already won the respect of his teammates.
"I think his work ethic and the way he's prepared himself, the whole pre-season and the 12 weeks leading up to the game ... we hold him in high regard," Kennedy said. "And I think the impact he had today after such a long break was a really good effort and a credit to him."
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