The 27-year-old was a strong target up forward for the Swans and finished the match with 15 touches, five marks and four goals.
Speaking to SwansTV from the winners’ rooms at ANZ Stadium, Tippett said he couldn’t have been happier with how he and the team performed against the reigning premiers.
“It was very exciting and it was great to be out there to experience that with the boys,” Tippett said.
“It was a great team effort and we were challenged a couple of times, but we came back to win the game, so that was probably the most pleasing part of tonight’s performance.
“I had a really simple focus of being really clean and really watching the ball right into my hands, because you can have the tendency to come back and be a little bit fumbly.
“I was glad that that part of my game was pretty sharp tonight.”
The Swans’ 2013 leading goal kicker didn’t have to wait long to put his first goal on the board for the season, with the forward slotting the opening goal of the match after hauling in a big mark against two Hawks’ defenders.
Tippett said he felt that first shot on goal gave him confidence after a long layoff with injury.
“I always like to start well,” he said.
“To put the first one through sets up your night a bit, so it was a good start.”
After missing the first seven rounds of the season, Tippett teamed up with fellow key talls Lance Franklin, Adam Goodes and Sam Reid for the first time in Friday night’s match.
“It’s sensational to have those sorts of players around you,” he said.
“I think it’s something that we’re going to continue to get better at as well, working together, and hopefully we can create some easier chances for each other.”
With Tippett returning to the side, the Swans were able to trial new structures in Friday night’s match, with Reid enjoying time further up the ground.
Speaking to SwansTV after the match, Reid said he loved having Tippett back out on the park, particularly when he was left one-on-one within scoring range.
“It was good to have a big stay-at-home, strong power forward up there with Kurt and he proved that tonight,” Reid said.
Watch Sam Reid's post game interview with SwansTV in the rooms following Friday night's win
“Not many guys can contain him one-on-one and with other guys roaming up the ground a bit including Goodesy, myself and Buddy, that was able to isolate him a bit and that’s a massive advantage for us because there are not too many players in the AFL who are going to be able to out-muscle Kurt.
“It was one thing that worked and I look forward to keep playing with him.”
In the absence of Mike Pyke, who missed the match with a hamstring strain, Reid was also called upon to assist in the ruck during the match.
“My role was to give Tommy (Derickx) a bit of a chop out,” Reid said.
“He carried a lot of the load tonight and did last week with Pykey going down early, so he’s been really good for the last two weeks.
“I just went in to … try and make a contest, not necessarily to put it down the midfielders throats but more so to not let their ruckman put it where he wants.”
Reid admitted that he’d like to make some adjustments to his game, particularly after battling the Hawks’ big men in Ben McEvoy and David Hale.
“It was okay to move up the ground a bit playing with those big men,” he said.
“I do think I need to try and jump a bit more rather than body them up because there are some big boys out there.”
