Ankle injury puts Tippett out again

A LONG-standing ankle injury will ensure Sydney ruckman Kurt Tippett spends at least another week in AFL exile.

Tippett’s patchy form meant he played no part in the Swans’ recent wins over the Western Bulldogs and Richmond.

The axed 30-year-old’s hopes of a recall for the club’s crunch clash with Essendon at the SCG on Friday night are already over.

Tippett pulled up sore yesterday after a second game in the seconds, with coach John Longmire confirming the out-of-favour big man will not face the Bombers.

“It’s just been getting a little bit worse and worse,” Longmire said of Tippett’s ankle injury.

“He’s had it for a couple of weeks. It’s been grumbling along but it got a bit worse.

“We’ve got to make sure we get him right so he can play.”

Tippett is in the midst of his fifth season with Sydney but has only played 70 games for the Swans, a product of a series of setbacks that include an 11game suspension for his role in Adelaide salary cap breaches.