Five years after agreeing to join the Crows, former Sydney and Collingwood player Jesse White lands in Adelaide

FIVE years after agreeing to join the Crows before being caught up in the Tippett-gate scandal, Jesse White will finally play football in Adelaide.

New Glenelg recruit Jesse White celebrates a goal with his former Collingwood teammates. Picture: Jason O'Brien (Getty Images).

FIVE years after agreeing to join the Crows before being caught up in the “Tippett-gate” scandal, Jesse White will finally play football in Adelaide.

The powerfully built key forward/ruckman, who retired from the AFL at the end of last season, has joined SANFL club Glenelg, which will be coached by his former Sydney mentor Mark Stone.

“It’s funny how things have turned out and that I’ve virtually come full circle,’’ said 29-year-old White, who played 127 AFL games and kicked 148 goals in 11 seasons for the Swans and Collingwood.

Jesse White in action for Collingwood. Picture: Darren England.

White was denied a shift to Adelaide when the Crows’ Kurt Tippett saga blew up. Picture: George Salpigtidis

“Five years ago I had agreed to a trade to Adelaide and I’m pretty sure I signed a document saying I was right to go and that a trade was pretty much done.

“That was on a Friday but by the end of the weekend all that stuff came out with Kurt (Tippett), the Crows were banned from trading by the AFL and all the paperwork got torn up.

“I guess the rest is history and I stayed at Sydney. It’s funny how things have turned around and that five years later we (White and long-time partner Jodi) are heading back to Adelaide.’’

White, 196cm and 102kg, was set to be traded to the Crows by Sydney as part of a deal for key forward Tippett, who had quit the club.

But the trade collapsed after the AFL uncovered secret third-party salary cap breaches between Adelaide and Tippett, resulting in massive penalties.

The Swans then selected Tippett in the pre-season draft.

White had agreed to join the Crows in search of more opportunities after he played just three games in 2012 while Jodi is an Adelaide girl.

The pair had met through White’s former Swans teammate Heath Grundy, who was drafted from Norwood.

White and Jodi now have a three-year-old daughter, Evie.

White — drafted in 2006 — played 71 games and kicked 73 goals for Sydney, including six finals, from 2008-13 before being traded to Collingwood at the end of 2013.

He played 56 games and booted 75 goals for the Pies.

A state under-age basketballer for Queensland, White — once offered a basketball scholarship at Arizona State University — had been training with NBL club Melbourne United through his friendship with Boomers star Chris Goulding with the intention of playing in the SEABL this season and having a crack at the NBL next year.

Then he got the call from Stone, who was an assistant coach at the Swans from 2008-10, that changed his direction.

“Mark spoke to me about not only playing footy but also doing some coaching and mentoring of young players at Glenelg which really sparked my interest,’’ White told The Advertiser.

“The fact I’ve got a good relationship with Mark, that Glenelg went close to making the finals this year and that Jodi has family here made it all seem like a very good fit.’’

White, who is a talented graphic designer and photographer, will arrive in Adelaide in early January.

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