Crows great Tony Modra calls dropping star Eddie Betts “dramatic” but believes team needed changes to beat Carlton
Crows great Tony Modra has given his take on Adelaide’s decision to drop cult hero Eddie Betts, saying it is “dramatic” but may be what is needed to get the team to bounce back against Carlton.
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Two decades after his semi-final axing shocked SA footy, Crows great Tony Modra has called the decision to drop Eddie Betts “dramatic” but understandable as the club seeks a circuit-breaker to beat Carlton at the MCG on Saturday.
Betts was omitted for the first time in his six seasons at Adelaide on Thursday night – the state’s biggest selection bombshell since Malcolm Blight dumped the club’s greatest ever goalkicker Modra during the 1998 finals series.
Modra thought Betts’s form had not been that bad but the three-time All-Australian “sacrificed himself” for the team, which was desperate to respond after three losses in four games.
“I knew it was going to boil down to them making a change but I didn’t think it’d be that dramatic – that was pretty full on, unfortunately with Eddie,” Modra told The Advertiser.
“But he’s the sort of person that’ll cop it on the chin.
“I think you could be hard on a lot of players but sometimes I don’t think the way to go is dropping players just to get the team up, but it is what it is this week.
“Unfortunately sometimes you’ve got to do these things, being a game that’s so important to us.
“The coach needed to do something because … I think if we went over there with the same side we had against Essendon, we would’ve struggled and probably lost.
“I think now with what’s happened it’ll open the boys’ eyes up and we’ll get over the line.”
Betts, who turns 33 in November, has kicked 32 goals in 17 matches this year, including six against Gold Coast a fortnight ago.
But he was goalless and gathered just nine disposals in eighth-placed Adelaide’s 21-point home loss to Essendon last Friday night.
Rather than face his former team on Saturday, Betts will be at the Bay alongside fellow ex-Blues Sam Jacobs and Bryce Gibbs for Adelaide’s top-of-the-table SANFL game against Glenelg.
Modra expected Betts, who was replaced in the AFL team by his close mate Tyson Stengle, would enjoy local footy and do very well.
“Eddie will just blend into the team nicely, keep doing the team things he’s been doing all along,” he said.
“I don’t think he’s got to do too much differently.
“It’ll be a bit more like grassroots footy for him … and he’ll have a chance to relax a bit more with his footy and probably get a lot more touches of the ball.
“I’m wanting Eddie to be back in the (AFL) side sooner, rather than later.”
Modra remains the Crows’ all-time leading goalkicker with 440 majors, while Betts sits third with 305 and co-captain Taylor Walker is in between them on 412.
Walker also came under fire earlier in the week for his eight-disposal, one-goal performance against the Bombers, but he overcame an elbow complaint and held his spot to face Carlton.
“I tend to put Tex (Walker) in the same boat as Matty Robran back in our day, when we needed a focal point up forward,” Modra said.
“Having him as someone where you can use the corridor and aim for … he’s always going to bring the ball to ground.”
Modra was at the Grove Shopping Centre on Friday as part of his role as an ambassador for Priceline’s “Misterhood for the Sisterhood” campaign, aimed at raising $1.5 million for five charities that support women and their families.
The SA Football Hall of Famer also continues to be involved in corporate hospitality at the Crows and will be heading to the Blues game with supporters.
“I just hope we come home smiling,” he said.