Eddie Betts

Eddie Betts (born Edward Robert Betts; 26 November 1986) is a professional Australian rules football player who plays for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Betts was originally drafted by Carlton with pick No. 3 in the 2004 Pre-Season Draft,^[1] where he played for nine years before Adelaide signed him as a free agent at the end of 2013.^[2]

Early life

Betts was born in Port Lincoln, South Australia and raised by his mother in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.^[1] He played junior football for the Mines Rovers Football Club,^[3] before moving back to Port Lincoln, where his father lived, to play for the Mallee Park Peckers. While in Port Lincoln, Betts' off-field behaviour was an issue, which included smoking, drinking, drugs and truancy. As a result, his mother arranged for the 15-year-old Betts to move to Melbourne and begin a TAFE program run by Indigenous former footballer Phil Krakouer.^[1]

In Melbourne, Betts played football for Templestowe, where he won the EFL Division 3 league best and fairest in 2002,^[4] and TAC Cup football for the Calder Cannons. He represented Vic Metro as a 16-year-old in the 2003 AFL Under 18 Championships and was selected in the Under 18 All-Australian team that season. He was too young to be selected in the AFL draft at the end of 2003, and he played another season with the Cannons, but was hindered by osteitis pubis. He was overlooked in the 2004 National Draft as a result.^[1]

AFL career

Carlton: 2005–2013

After being overlooked in the National Draft, Betts was recruited to the AFL with pick 3 in the 2004 Pre-Season Draft by the Carlton Football Club.^[1] He attracted attention as a lively small forward during the 2005 pre-season, and made his AFL debut in round 1 against the Kangaroos. He kicked 19 goals in 19 games in 2005, playing as a permanent small forward and becoming a fan favourite.^[3] The next year, Betts won the Goal of the Year for his goal in round 21 against Collingwood, a banana kick from the boundary under pressure.^[5]

Betts during his days at Carlton in 2007

Throughout his first four seasons, Betts had a consistent output of roughly a goal per game. From 2009, Betts' goalkicking output increased, kicking 38 goals in 2009, then 42 in 2010 to top Carlton's goal kicking for the first time, while also making the top 10 in the club best and fairest.^[3][6] Betts started slowly in 2011, being on the cusp of being dropped early in the season,^[7] but rebounded to kick 50 goals for the season,^[6] including a career-best eight goals against Essendon in Round 18.^[8]

Betts kicked 48 goals in 2012,^[6] stepping up in the absence of several of the Blues' key forwards to become their major forward target.^[9] In that year he led the club's goalkicking, was runner-up in the club best and fairest count and was named in the 40 man All-Australian shortlist for the second year in a row.^[10]

Betts kicked 27 goals in 18 games in a 2013 season interrupted by a suspension and a fractured jaw, including five goals in Carlton's two finals.^[2] At the end of the season, Betts entered the market as a restricted free agent, and in October he notified Carlton he had accepted a four-year contract understood to be worth about $2 million (AUS) to join the Adelaide Crows.^[11] Carlton had 72 hours to match the Crows offer but declined to do so, allowing the confirmation of Betts' switch to occur on 4 October, the first day of the free agency period.^[2]

Adelaide: 2014–present

In his first season at Adelaide, Betts played all 22 games and kicked a career-best 51 goals, leading Adelaide's goalscoring and finishing eighth in the Coleman Medal. He also had more goal assists than anyone else in the AFL and was ranked third in the league for tackles inside the forward 50. Betts played his 200th AFL game against Hawthorn at Adelaide Oval in round 17.^[12]

On 26 May 2015, the AFL launched an inquiry into Betts' signing with Adelaide after the outgoing Carlton coach, Mick Malthouse, claimed to have been told by the current Carlton and former Adelaide CEO, Steven Trigg, that Adelaide had illegally signed Betts 18 months prior to him departing Carlton.^[13] Adelaide categorically denied the claim, as did Carlton and Betts' manager.^[14] Betts and all other parties were subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing in the affair.^[15] Following on from this controversy, Betts improved on his stellar 2014 season by kicking 63 goals in 2015, finishing third in the Coleman Medal, and finally achieving All-Australian honours.^[12] Betts also was awarded the Goal of the Year in 2015 for the second time in his career; against Fremantle in wet conditions, he managed to control the ball near the boundary at half-forward and kicked a left-foot torpedo punt from 50 metres out on the boundary line, which dribbled through for a goal.^[16]

Personal life

At the end of 2009, Betts was arrested for drunkenness in the aftermath of a party involving several Carlton players. He was fined $10,000 by the Carlton Football Club.^[17]

Whilst playing for Carlton, Betts taught part-time at Assumption College in Kilmore, Victoria.^[1]

Betts married his long-term partner, Anna Scullie, in a surprise wedding in August 2015, after several years' engagement.^[18] They have two children: Lewis (born in October 2012)^[19] and Billy (born in March 2015).^[20]

Legacy

In 2014, Betts' first year at Adelaide, he converted a series of difficult shots at goal from the right forward pocket at the northern end of Adelaide Oval. Then-coach Brenton Sanderson dubbed that area of the ground the "Eddie Betts pocket", and the name has caught on with fans and commentators.^[21] Ironically, Betts' 2015 goal of the year and another contender the following year were from the opposite pocket, the left forward pocket at the same end.^[22]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to end of round 21, 2016^[6]

References

External links

• Eddie Betts's profile on the official website of the Adelaide Football Club
• Eddie Betts's statistics from AFL Tables
• Eddie Betts Profile in Blueseum

Australian squad – 2010 International Rules Series
Banfield Betts Boyd Cross Dangerfield Duffield Fletcher(gk) Frawley Gibbs Gilbert Goldsack Goodes (c) Green Ibbotson Jack McVeigh Montagna Picken Riewoldt Simpson Swan Varcoe Wojcinski
Coach: Malthouse

Australian squad – 2013 International Rules Series
Armstrong Barry Betts Aaron Davey Alwyn Davey Edwards Ellis-Yolmen Franklin Harbrow Hill Leroy Jetta Lewis Jetta Lovett-Murray McGrath (gk) Motlop Neade Stokes Thomas Wellingham Wells (c) Yarran
Coach: O'Loughlin

Australian squad – 2015 International Rules Series
Ballantyne Betts Birchall Breust Dangerfield Fletcher (gk) Gaff Goddard Gray Heppell Hodge (c) Mitchell Montagna Mundy Murphy Riewoldt Rockliff Roughead Smith Stringer Taylor Wood
Coach: Clarkson