Sydney Swans’ Kurt Tippett has retired from the AFL effective immediately due to persistent injury concerns.
Tippett has battled a number of injury problems in recent years and according to the Swans website “the length of his recovery and doubts about being able to get back to his best, led to his decision to retire.”
He played 74 matches for Sydney after joining the club at the end of the 2012 season, having previously played with the Adelaide Crows.
In total Tippett played 178 AFL games and kicked 325 goals, winning leading goalkicker awards at Adelaide in 2010 and Sydney in 2013.
However his best season came in 2009 when he kicked 55 goals for the Crows.
He played in a preliminary final with Adelaide in 2012 and played in two losing grand finals with the Swans in 2014 and 2016.
“It’s really tough to leave a game and a club which I really love, but the reality is that my body isn’t going to stand up to the rigors of professional football. As I’ve found out in the past 18 months or so, it’s impossible to play at the level you want without being fully fit,” Tippett said.
“I want to thank the Swans and also the Crows for the opportunity to fulfil my dream to play and compete in the AFL. I would also like to thank my teammates and coaches, particularly John Longmire and Neil Craig, and the fans and supporters of our great game.
“Last but not least I would like to thank my family and friends for their love and support over my career. As sad as I am that I won’t play at this level again, I look forward to transitioning into the next phase of my life.”
(Photo by James Elsby/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Tippett’s decision to join the Swans on a big-money contract at the end of 2012 was one of the more controversial episodes in the AFL in recent years, as it led to a revelation that he had been paid outside the salary cap in his time at Adelaide.
As a result Adelaide lost two years worth of first and second round draft picks and Tippett was deregistered, meaning they were not able to gain any compensation for his departure in a trade.
Despite ostensibly leaving the Crows due to homesickness for Queensland, he accepted a lucrative offer to join the then-reigning-premiers, landing at the Swans via the pre-season draft.
However, he was banned from playing for the first half of the 2013 season due to his role in the salary cap breaches that had taken place.
Ironically the half-season he did play in 2013 was arguably his best football, kicking a career-high average of nearly three goals per game across 12 appearances.
Unfortunately that proved to be the peak of Tippett’s Sydney career as the arrival of Lance Franklin at the club at the end of 2013, combined persistent injury trouble, curtailed his form.
He eventually settled into a new ruck-forward role and enjoyed a strong first half of the 2016 season before a hamstring injury ruined the latter half of his year.
His 2017 was a tale of frustration, battling to stay fit and in the senior side. He played six games in the NEAFL and was dropped from the senior side on the eve of finals.
“Kurt has played some key roles for us but has been very unlucky with injury, which is a real shame, because when he’s out on the field he’s been a great competitor,” Sydney Swans coach John Longmire said.
“It takes courage to admit when your body isn’t up to playing at the level you want, because players love nothing more than to be out there with their teammates competing each week.
“Kurt has considered what’s best for the club and his teammates when making this decision, and he departs with our full support.”
Paul D
Roar Guru
The Swans don't control the definition of career ending, it is apparently strictly defined by the AFL in the rules surrounding this sort of thing. My understanding is that he'll get the bulk of his money this year anyway, and token amounts over the next two, correct me if I'm wrong. You are a cynic. But this is just a warmup for the explosions of injustice when the Swans divest themselves of Buddy's contract a year or two early in 2020/21
Birdman
Guest
so Tippett retires due to injury preventing him playing at the standard required of an AFL player but the Swans and the AFL agree that it wasn't a 'career-ending injury' so the total of his remaining contact 3 years doesn't continue to count in their cap for the next 3 years, just his 2019 salary will count. Call me a cynic but this is just another AFL chop out handed to the Swans.
Breathe Easy
Guest
What happened to my reply to Lamby..pathetic the Roar!!! absolutely pathetic!
Birdman
Guest
Nankervis should send Tippett a thank you letter - Kurt's contract extension made Nankervis a Premiership player while Kurt retires with a couple of runner up medals and a heap of social media scorn.
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
Can Sydney simply lift a rookie onto their list (something they seem to be quite good at)?
Reservoir Animal
Guest
Haha, next you'll say Sydney need COLA back because of the go-home factor.
MG
Roar Rookie
The Swans don't usually use the maximum number.
Cat
Roar Guru
Get the same if he quits at the end of this year too
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
No, but they could carry it over next year.
Art Vandelay
Guest
Is this a double whammy? Ie. Tippett was one of the major reasons Nankervis felt compelled to look elsewhere, was he not?
Roger of Sydney
Guest
Always hoped for a big one every time he ran on, but few times he delivered. Good to finally have this over, the team can now get settled so no tears here
Birdman
Guest
yep, cash, flags and lifestyle in that order - home was well down the list
Cat
Roar Guru
Technically correct, he was born in Sydney but moved at 2 months of age and played all his junior footy in Queensland. Sydney wasn't 'home'. The aborted move to Brisbane or Gold Coast would have been 'going home'.
Cat
Roar Guru
Doesn't help this year. Too late to add another player.
Cat
Roar Guru
That is true. However, in this case no list space has been created for this year. Final lists have been lodged. Swans cannot go and find someone else worthy of the list spot. Its a dead spot for the entire season.
Gecko
Guest
Cat that list management error was made when they contracted Tippett back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the forward line. Today, making space for a youngster is good list management. Tippett, Cloke, Ty Vickery. All leaving the game early. We can call it fatigue or injury but it's really because the game has changed.
MG
Roar Rookie
My understanding is the Swans offer was less than $50,000 more than the Crows so if you take out the paper bag stuff Trigg had organised he wasn't any better off in Sydney. He was born in Sydney! He likes to surf. Moving home was just a nice way to say I hate living in Adelaide,
Winston
Guest
I'm hopeful this will help the team both in terms of clarity of roles and morale. One of the problems in the 2nd half of last year was, he was neither good enough to play nor bad enough to be dropped whether forward or ruck, which then created a bunch of issues: should Reid play front or back; sinclair and naismith anxious about being dropped; holding back development of promising youngsters. I think now it's clear Reid will play forward, which means the likes of Aliir Aliir have a real chance of getting a permanent spot. Our ruck is settled with Naismith and Sinclair, and there will be plenty of opportunities to bring in a youngster there too. I quite like it.
MG
Roar Rookie
My understanding is that his contract was re-negotiated last year so that the total left on his existing contract for this year was paid over three years. This meant he was a Swan for life but at a lower rate (not $800k per year as claimed below). This provided salary cap relief. The actions of a true Club man. Unfortunately those payments will still count in the cap but it has enabled the club to keep another player that may have had to go without that cap relief. He was fantastic in the first half of 2016. It's a shame about the suspension and then the injuries.
Birdman
Guest
karma