Crows go slow on Tippett
Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson says the Crows will not rush Kurt Tippett back after three concussions in five weeks
ADELAIDE forward Kurt Tippett will fly to Melbourne to visit a concussion expert this week.
Tippett has suffered three concussions in the past five weeks, most recently as a result of a head clash with West Coast's Beau Waters on Saturday.
The string of incidents have sparked fears over his long-term health.
Crows coach Brenton Sanderson said the 25-year-old was unlikely to face Geelong this weekend, but dispelled concerns he might face a long stint on the sidelines.
"We're taking it very slowly," Sanderson told Melbourne radio station SEN on Tuesday morning.
"He's on his way to Melbourne either today or tomorrow to visit a neurosurgeon who specialises in sporting concussions.
"He's Australia's leading researcher in that field, and we're just going to get some information from him.
"It's important to get as much information as we can to make the correct decision with Kurt.
"My gut feeling is that he wouldn't play this week, but he'd certainly play the week after.
"But then again, I'm just the coach, and I've got to listen to the medical team.
"We're confident that Kurt's going to be fine.
"We probably should think the worst, but we're certainly not doing that at this stage."
Sanderson said Tippett's string of concussions were down to bad luck, and were not a result of deficiencies in his game.
"They've all been very different, and they've all just been wrong place, wrong time," the Adelaide coach said.
"So it's nothing about his technique, and it's nothing about him being clumsy or anything like that.
"He's never had a concussion in his life until five weeks ago."