Joel Tippett Biography

Joel Tippett is set to miss up to six weeks after copping a knee to the back in a VFL practice match.

Tippett suffered extensive bruising to his lower back and a fracture of the transverse process, a small bony projection off the side of his vertebrae, while playing for Werribee against Footscray.

"Joel reported immediate pain and spasms in his lower back," North director of football Geoff Walsh said.

"Things have now settled and he will have follow up scans as part of his treatment."

After starting the year as a rookie with North Melbourne on a one-year deal, Joel Tippett earns a new two-year contract with the Kangaroos.

"I wanted to just have a really good crack at things, and I was lucky to have a really good pre-season and get myself in good shape so I could really focus on having a good year," Tippett said.

"It's really exciting to be part of the playing group for another two years.

"I've worked pretty hard over the past couple of years to put myself in this position, and it's great that the club has recognised that and I'm just really excited to be part of it."

Joel Tippett will likely be sidelined for up to three moths with a torn pectoral muscle.

Tippett was subbed out of the Kangaroos' 20-point loss to Geelong at Simmonds Stadium in round 10 with the injury, which occurred in the second quarter.

Joel Tippett's hopes of resurrecting his AFL career look optimistic after outstanding results at South Australia's screening for the NAB AFL Draft.

Tippett registered the highest vertical leap, the second best time in the agility course and third in the 20m sprint and 30m repeat sprints.

"For a player of his size to run that 2.92 second 20m sprint - and even in the agility to test to run an 8 second – that's phenomenal really," Port Adelaide recruiting manager Geoff Parker said.

"You watch him play and you think 'oh yeah, he moves alright', but to actually get those test results you think he might actually be a bit better that you thought."

Joel Tippett has fielded interest from AFL clubs, including Sydney where his brother Kurt Tippett is linked.

"I've had quite a few clubs enquire about him because he's a great kid," West Adelaide coach Andrew Collins said.

"Sydney's been in the mix along with a few other clubs, so it will be interesting to see where he ends up.

"But I'm sure he'll get rookie-listed somewhere because he is a beauty and could certainly make the step up to the AFL."

Kurt Tippett's younger brother Joel is prepared to travel anywhere for another chance at AFL football.

"Joel took himself from the Gold Coast to Adelaide this year with a clear cut vision of trying to get back into the AFL system," Tippett's manager Peter Blucher said.

"He thought playing in the SANFL was the best mechanism by which he could do that and he's done that.

"Their surname is the same, but Joel will go wherever Joel has to go to have a crack at playing league footy again.

"They are unrelated in this situation, completely."

Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna says time is running out for Nathan Ablett and Joel Tippett to prove themselves this year.

"We can't invent any more games for [Ablett]," McKenna said.

"We'll assess him and Joel Tippet, who didn't play today, but will probably play next week. Are two games enough for him as well? Probably not, but we have to make that call and that judgment."

Joel Tippett makes his AFL debut for Gold Coast with 7 disposals (3 kicks and 4 handballs), 2 marks and 2 tackles in a 61-point loss to Adelaide.

The Lions have delisted senior players Joel Macdonald, Scott Harding, Rhan Hooper, Jason Roe, Scott Clouston, Kieran King and Matthew Tyler, and rookies Daniel Dzufer, Pat Garner, Daniel Murray, Adam Spackman and Joel Tippett after a huge cull of Brisbane's list instigated by coach Michael Voss.