Van Berlo blasts Tippett over AFL switch - Sydney Morning Herald

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Adelaide captain Nathan van Berlo has blasted Kurt Tippett as a case study in how not to leave your AFL club.

Van Berlo normally avoids public controversy, but highlighted the ugliness of Tippett's departure from the Crows with his blunt words about the new Sydney key forward.

"I guess that was a clear example to the playing group of feelings that occur when you don't want to be a part of the playing group," van Berlo told reporters on Monday.

The Crows skipper had just announced a new three-year contract with Adelaide - effectively making himself a one-club player.

"In the Kurt Tippett case, it wasn't handled well from his point of view and the players certainly reacted accordingly to that and felt like they were let down," van Berlo said.

"They've seen ways they shouldn't do it, if they choose to leave our system, but I don't think we'll have that case to deal with any time soon."

After months of speculation, Tippett told his teammates last October via text message that he was leaving.

The Crows had thought Tippett would only leave to return home to Queensland and play for Gold Coast.

Instead, he scored a lucrative deal with the Swans.

A month later, Tippett and the Crows were heavily punished for salary cap breaches and draft tampering, relating to his last Adelaide contract.

Tippett is suspended until round 12, former Crows football manager Phil Harper has served a two-match ban and chief executive Steven Trigg is still serving a six-month sanction.

Highlighting the mutual ill feeling, when the AFL announced the penalties, Tippett blamed Adelaide for his plight.

Adelaide have also lost other key players Nathan Bock, Phil Davis and Jack Gunston to rival clubs in recent years.

This year Scott Thompson, Brent Reilly, Graham Johncock, Jason Porplyzia and Ben Rutten will qualify for free agency.

Van Berlo has joined Daniel Talia and Sam Jacobs in agreeing to new deals and hopes others follow suit.

"It's important that I lead the way in signing a longer-term deal to signify to the boys that I'm keen to hang around," he said.

"I expect we'll have the majority of this group here for the future."

Van Berlo, 26, has played 165 senior games for the Crows - the last 65 in succession.

The WA native misses home, but was never tempted to leave the Crows.

"People sometimes forget that to do your dream job you might have to relocate," he said.