HE HAS played less than 50 games of Australian football and is yet to take the field in the AFL premiership season, but young Crow Kurt Tippett is fast making a name for himself at West Lakes.

Tippett showed promising signs in Adelaide’s opening three NAB Cup games but took it to another level on Saturday night when he very nearly became the first player yet to make their AFL debut to claim the Michael Tuck Medal.

St Kilda’s Jason Gram (nine votes) finished six votes clear of Tippett (three) to take the best on ground honours yet the buzz around AAMI Stadium after the game was all about the Crows’ new 201cm forward.

The athletic Queenslander finished with a return of 4.2 and excited the crowd with four strong, contested pack marks.

“I was pretty happy with how tonight went personally, but at the same time it was obviously pretty disappointing that we didn’t get the result we were after,” Tippett told afc.com.au after the game.

“I played my role in the structure and tonight I was just lucky the ball was coming in pretty well and I was able to get on the end of a few. I haven’t kicked too many four-goal bags before.”

Tippett was taken with pick 32 in the 2006 NAB AFL draft, but endured a horror start to his first year in Adelaide when he was confined to a neck brace just weeks into the pre-season.

The 20-year-old recovered from a broken vertebra in his neck only to undergo a season-ending reconstruction after he dislocated his shoulder playing for SANFL club West Adelaide.

Despite his 2007 ordeal, Tippett showed no fear of injury or regard for his body on Saturday night when he routinely crashed packs and even went cannoning into Saints big man Steven King.

“I built up some confidence over the pre-season, which has really helped me during the NAB Cup competition,” Tippett said.

“Obviously I didn’t play much footy last year and coming back, I wasn’t sure how I’d go, but I’ve really worked on making sure I contribute to the team every week and hopefully that holds me in good stead for round one.”

Coach Neil Craig wouldn’t guarantee the pharmacy student a place in the side for round one but said he was pleased with the contest Tippett gave in attack.

“He’s probably provided something up forward that we haven’t had for a long period of time,” Craig said.

“He hasn’t played an AFL game yet, so let’s keep it in perspective.

“But he’s a big lad as you know and he has a competitive nature. He also has a great attitude towards his footy and he loves going at it in the air.”

Tippett, whose younger brother Joel is on the Brisbane Lions rookie list, faced a familiar foe in the St Kilda back line.

His direct opponent, Sam Gilbert, also hails from Southport in Queensland.

“I’ve played with Sam before but never against him. He’s a tough defender and he does a good job back there,” Tippett said with a smile.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of niggle between us, but it was good to shake his hand and catch up afterwards.”