Crows star Eddie Betts out for a month with hamstring injury

STAR Adelaide forward Eddie Betts will miss a month after reinjuring his hamstring, continuing the Crows’ horror run. But he said his teammates were staying upbeat and confident of rediscovering the form that took them to a grand final.

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ADELAIDE forward Eddie Betts says morale remains high at West Lakes despite a widening injury curse and the Crows losing touch with the top eight.

Betts’ sentiment comes as he revealed his latest hamstring injury is worse than his previous one suffered in Round 4.

The star expects to spend four weeks on the sidelines after missing a fortnight with the original injury.

Eddie Betts lays a tackle on Hawk Blake Hardwick on Saturday night. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Media/Getty Images

Eddie Betts feels his left hamstring in Round 4. Picture Sarah Reed

Betts re-inured his left hamstring when attempting a smother in the last quarter of the Crows’ 56-point loss to Hawthorn on Saturday.

“It’s frustrating to do your hammy again,” Betts said on his weekly spot on radio station FIVEaa. “And this time it’s worse than it was the first time. Four weeks so I’m being as positive as I can be.

“Same spot, same one.

“When I did it last time, I felt like I was cramping a little bit … it wasn’t even a grade one or grade two. This time when I went to go smother I felt a little twitch.

“So now it’s head down, bum up, get the rehab done and support the boys as much as I can off the field.”

Crows head of football Brett Burton told the club website Betts’ rehabilitation would begin immediately.

“Eddie has suffered a slight strain to the tendon which equates to a recovery period of approximately four weeks,” Burton said.

“Obviously it is disappointing to be missing a player of his ability but it creates an opportunity for others to step up and perform.”

Betts, who is with his family in Melbourne as the Crows enjoy a break for the bye, said his teammates remain confident and believes their best football will match it with anybody in the competition.

The Crows are 11th on the ladder with a 6-7 record, one win outside of the eight, but Betts said Adelaide, which made the grand final last year, was ready to attack the second half of the season after a “mental break”.

“We’re just focusing on what we can control,” Betts said. “And that’s our game plan inside our four walls.

“We know we have to work hard, we know we have some stuff to work on and we know we’re not playing our best footy.

“And we know we can play great footy — we’ve played it this year against quality sides.

“We’ve just got to put our head down, bum up, train hard and go out there and produce a four-quarter effort.

“I want to start winning again. Because winning creates a fun environment.

“I’m not saying it’s not fun there now, it still is fun, but as you’re losing and you keep losing it drains you and it can bring the group down.

“We’re trying to stay as positive as we can be.

The dejected Crows after losing to Hawthorn on Saturday. Picture: Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images

“We need to get that winning feeling back again, keep the joy and bubble around the club and on the ground as well.

“I think ‘Tex’ (captain Taylor Walker) said it after the game: we’re not playing for each other.

“We’re letting each other down.

“It’s just not the same as it was last year and we need to start bringing that back.

“We’ll work on it; we’ll train it.”

In more bad news for Adelaide, back-up ruckman Reilly O’Brien will miss the rest of the season after being sent in for shoulder surgery.

O’Brien was a late withdrawal from the Crows’ SANFL team that lost by a record 112 points to South Adelaide at Noarlunga on Saturday.