Swans dump Tippett
The Gold Coast product joined the Swans at the end of 2012 from the Adelaide Crows as one of the AFL’s highest- priced players.
Tippett played in the NEAFL this year when returning from a hip injury and also in 2014 when recovering from a knee injury.
The 30-year-old has struggled with injury and form and has played an average of 16 games a year in his first four seasons in Sydney.
Critics have hammered Tippett in recent weeks, calling him one of the game’s most overpaid and underperforming players. He has featured in five of this year’s 10 games and struggled to make an impact in any of them as the Swans have nosedived.
“Kurt’s got a few things to work on in the reserves,” Longmire said.
“He knows what they are and we’re confident he’ll be able to turn it around really quickly.”
When Tippett has been healthy and in form he is one of the best goalkicking ruckmen in the AFL. However, the only time Sydney have seen that form was in the first half of last year.
“He’s suffered through various injuries this year on the back of a consistent year up until the halfway point last year,” Longmire said.
“The second half of last year and the first half of this year he’s been affected by those injuries and it hasn’t led to a consistent performance and we’d like to be able to get that consistent performance out of him.”
Tippett’s spot in the ruck has been taken by Sam Naismith who is returning from a knee injury picked up at training after the Round 8 win over North Melbourne.
“We like what Sam gives us in the ruck and particularly the centre bounces,” Longmire said.
“He really gets up and gives us a look at the first contest and he’s quick and competitive.”
Former co-captain Kieren Jack, who like Tippett has faced scrutiny over his form, is back in the line-up after being given time to recover from a hip injury which hampered his early season.