Kurt Tippett is potentially the best Swans forward since Barry Hall, says coach John Longmire. Picture: Michael Dodge. Source: Getty Images
STAR recruit Kurt Tippett will be the biggest forward for the Swans since Barry Hall, coach John Longmire said after the club yesterday completed its pre-season draft heist.
The Swans have not had a player kick more than 50 goals in a season since Hall booted 78 in 2006.
The Swans believe they now have a player capable of breaking that drought, with Longmire agreeing the controversial former Adelaide power forward is capable of kicking 50 majors in a year.
The reigning premiers would not have endured such a drawn out recruitment process and offered a four-year-deal worth $3.55 million if they didn't believe in Tippett's ability to win games.
Tippett kicked 39 goals from 70 scoring shots this year, suggesting he is more than capable of following in Hall's footsteps.
He will make the Swans' forward line one of the most feared in the competition alongside Sam Reid, Adam Goodes, Gary Rohan, Lewis Jetta, Ryan O'Keefe, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Mike Pyke and Mitch Morton.
"We think he can add some real firepower in our front half alongside Sam Reid and the other blokes we've got in there and, importantly, not only do it for next year but do it for the years beyond that and we think he's got a lot of good footy ahead of him," Longmire said.
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"He has a lot of shots at goal and we think he has a lot of improvement. He's only 25 and he's hopefully coming into the better part of his career. Lewis Jetta kicked 45 goals this year and I'd love him to do that again next year, but that's a big ask for Lewis to do.
"(Tippett) is able to hit the scoreboard. That's what he's able to do. We're not guessing about that. He gets himself in position to be able to have shots at goal and we know also he can go in the ruck when needed. So that's a pretty flexible player you've got on your hands."
The 25-year-old, 202cm Gold Coast product will be unveiled to Swans fans at a media conference this morning and train with teammates for the first time after flying to Sydney yesterday.
But he will not play a game for his new team until their round-13 clash with Port Adelaide - when his 11-match suspension for being involved in salary cap breaches and draft tampering with the Crows ends.
He also has question marks surrounding his fitness after missing four games for Adelaide this year with concussion issues.
But Longmire said doubters only had to look at the Crows' last game of 2012.
"We saw the way he came back. Whilst he took a few weeks to get going, by the end of the year he was in really good form.
"Anyone who saw that preliminary final (against Hawthorn) last season when he kicked four goals and contributed to a number of others could see the impact (he had) and the condition he was in and we're confident that he'll be a very important player for us."
For all his issues and huge salary, Tippett still comes to the club at a steal, with the Swans only needing to use their No.11 pre-season draft pick to pull off one of the biggest AFL signings in recent years.
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