Eddie Betts Quits Adelaide, to return to Carlton

[holybishop]

NoCookies | The Australian

www.theaustralian.com.au

The footy-mad city of Adelaide will have its heart broken when its magical superstar Eddie Betts turns his back on South Australia at the same time as the state’s two AFL teams bomb out of the finals and its most popular club, the Adelaide Crows, implodes.
The Australian can reveal that Port Lincoln-born Betts is desperately unhappy at Adelaide and will return to Victorian club Carlton, which gave the 32-year-old his start in 2005.
In the City of Churches where the dominant religion is AFL, Betts has been a massive drawcard since joining the Crows in 2014, kicking more than 300 goals and winning three Goal of the Year awards with his freakish ability to score from the most improbable angles.
Betts confirmed today that he had been approached by other clubs since he was controversially dropped by the Crows in round 19, coincidentally against Carlton.
The side to which he will now return is coached by his great friend David Teague, a former assistant coach at the Crows who helped turn around Carlton’s fortunes after stepping in mid-season this year. In an interview on Melbourne radio today, Teague openly acknowledged Betts’s unhappiness and said he would love to have him at Carlton.
“Everybody loves Eddie Betts,” he said. “He doesn’t look like he’s having much fun at the moment.”
Betts’s wife, Anna, with whom he has four children, is also from Melbourne and all her family are there.
The pair has had a fractured relationship with the Crows since the club held a widely ridiculed motivational camp early last year run by an organisation called Collective Minds, with which the Crows later parted company.
Indigenous players became upset on the camp at some of the mind games used to challenge their thinking, after the club blew its big chance to win the 2017 AFL grand final, losing to underdogs Richmond despite dominating all season.
A despondent and nervous Betts today ran a Princess Diana-style gauntlet of media for his weekly interview with Adelaide radio station FiveAA. He confirmed he had not been delisted by the Crows — a move that would be difficult for the club to manage in a PR sense, given his cult following — but said he had been approached informally by other clubs and was considering options. “I think when you do get dropped from the team as a senior player, the clubs tend to ring up your management saying ‘What’s going on?’ ” Betts said.
“Every player gets it, and I think what people need to know is: I’m contracted to 2020 but everyone’s under scrutiny the whole year.
“You’ve got the media coming out saying no player’s safe. I can say right now there has been no offer. There has been interest, but no offer … That’s where it’s at.”
Aside from Carlton, which is believed to be crafting a two-year deal and mentoring role for Betts, the other big approach has come from league cellar-dwellers Gold Coast, which has the entire Northern Territory as its recruitment zone. That would give Betts a chance to play his leadership role with young indigenous players. Gold Coast is also after Hawthorn legend Shaun Burgoyne, a great friend of Betts, and wanted to get both as a package deal.
In a tough week for the Crows, the club endured a furious fan backlash after Ricciuto, a 1998 premiership hero and Brownlow medallist, blew up at hardline supporters who have been denouncing everything from its list management to recruitment to media strategy and board structure. Crows foundation coach Graham Cornes said there was “no doubt it’s been a bad week” but the biggest change since he started as coach in 1991 was social media. “There was none of this crap in my day, it’s out of control,” he said. “It’s just relentless and it means that everybody, be they sensible or really stupid, can just get stuck in and go their hardest.”

 

[Bald]

Imagine being Daisy Thomas. Not getting another year because you're too old and then an older Eddie Betts who's probably hit father time a bit harder than Thomas rolls up.

 

[Coaster2012]

How is Pyke still the coach? Baffling why Crows havent made a move.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Bandwagoner.

 

[Elmer_Judd]

Feels good to be a #destinationclub !!

 

[Belnakor]

Feels good to be a #destinationclub !!

He’s cooked not sure you should be that happy

 

[dergert]

Turncoat

 

[Purrfect pussy]

Feels good to be a #destinationclub !!

You should have told Coniglio!

 

[Bulldog1954]

Not sure why Carlton would bring in a 32 year old? It’s not like they will be competing whilst he is there and unlike sides like the Suns they already have super experienced, older players in Simpson, Murphy, Kreuzer and Curnow.

 

[Brunswick Trap King]

Don't know why Carlton would accept a cooked Betts. Won't be anywhere near a future flag tilt.

 

[PrinceCharles]

You should of told Coniglio!

Have*, should have told Coniglio. How do adults struggle with this so much?

 

[Purrfect pussy]

Have*, should have told Coniglio. How do adults struggle with this so much?

Fixed. Been a long day! Apologies your highness.

 

[T2B_]

Not sure why Carlton would bring in a 32 year old? It’s not like they will be competing whilst he is there and unlike sides like the Suns they already have super experienced, older players in Simpson, Murphy, Kreuzer and Curnow.

We literally have no genuine small forwards. A 50 year old Betts would be better than what we have.

 

[telsor]

Have*, should have told Coniglio. How do adults struggle with this so much?

Yeah, they should of been taught better!

 

[BLUEALLTHRU]

He’s cooked not sure you should be that happy

We are using him in a trade with Walters.. Bell told me

 

[Brunswick Trap King]

We are using him in a trade with Walters.. Bell told me

Hmm sounding like a Hawthorn supporter haha

 

[Snarls Barkley]

Imagine being Daisy Thomas. Not getting another year because you're too old and then an older Eddie Betts who's probably hit father time a bit harder than Thomas rolls up.

To be fair it’s the even upper. Betts was moved on from Carlton because they wanted to use the money to bring in Daisy

 

[GordonBlue]

- We have No small forwards
- The romance of it all
- Basically guarantee his kids being Carlton fans.. future F/S
- Adds a few more members and bums to seats
- terrific role model
- Will have a development role
- Possibly be the attraction factor for other players to join Carlton

 

[WWSD]

Betts is still one of the best marquee players in the competition. He might be past his best but he gives Carlton that goal kicking small forward in which they’ve sorely missed the past 5 years.

HF: McGovern, Curnow, Fisher
F: Betts, McKay, Gibbons

 

[Righteo]

How is Pyke still the coach? Baffling why Crows havent made a move.

Overreaction much? Unless Adelaide find themselves playing Gold Coast 22 times next year this won't be a big loss.

 

[PP34]

Don't know why Carlton would accept a cooked Betts. Won't be anywhere near a future flag tilt.

If he ends up costing little why not?

Why does every move have to be for a flag tilt? That is never how list building works.

Temporarily fills a hole in our list and still can kick goals.

I daresay the club will be doing its best to find an Indigenous small forward or two to add something to our forward line going forward. All the good sides seem to have a Rioli or a a Ryan type player. Betts would be great for developing a young Indigenous small forward if we do recruit one.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Didn't Eddie say this afternoon he's contracted to the Crows until the end of 2020 and is staying at the club?

 

[Go the Guts]

Take out our 2 gold coast games this year and he kicked 24 goals - 1 a game. 3 years ago he kicked 75.
We love him no matter what. He can do whatever he likes - stay or go. Whatever makes him happy.
He's given us that much joy.

 

[Toump Ass]

Crazy thought I know but maybe Betts would have kicked a few more goals this year if the Crows didn't wave a traditional indigenous heirloom at him during some dumb arse pre-season camp.

People generally perform better at their job when they don't hate the place.

 

[revo333]

Clearly hasn't enjoyed his football for the last few seasons.

His form might come in a better environment.

I think he is worth the risk.