Daniel Talia is a rarity among the Adelaide Crows: he feels sorry for Kurt Tippett.
Sydney ruck-forward Tippett will miss Saturday night's AFL semi-final against the Crows after suffering a fractured jaw.
Tippett remains a polarising figure at Adelaide, the club he left in controversial circumstances at the end of 2012.
Tippett's acrimonious split led to him being suspended for 11 games and the Crows being fined $300,000 and losing draft picks for breaking AFL draft and salary cap laws. Three Adelaide officials were also banned for various periods.
While most Crows still hold a grudge towards Tippett, Talia feels for his former teammate in the wake of his injury.
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And the Adelaide backman also sympathises with Swan Callum Mills, this year's AFL Rising Star who also will miss the semi-final because of a hamstring strain.
Talia himself won the award in 2012, then broke an arm in his first final.
"(Tippett) is a great player, and we knew that when he was here," Talia told reporters on Monday.
"So that is a big loss for them, as is Callum Mills.
"You feel for anyone who gets injured at this time of year.
"That happened to me after I won the Rising Star as well - broke my arm and got injured.
"Footy can be cruel at times."
But Talia doesn't subscribe to a theory that it's a good time for Adelaide to play the banged-up Swans.
"I don't really buy into that," he said.
"They are a great team, like us they have got a lot of depth. And they have shown over the years they are a proven finals team."
