Eddie Betts confident of playing on, cops friendly fire as Adelaide Crows try to arrest dismal pressure rating in brutal session
Crows fan favourite Eddie Betts has spoken candidly about playing on next year despite some moments of doubt this season as he nurses the scars of a tough training session on Wednesday.
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Adelaide veteran Eddie Betts has revealed he needed four stitches for a busted lip after a willing and physical Crows training session on Wednesday while admitting doubts had crept into his game.
Betts said he ran into the back of teammate Hugh Greenwood’s head in a tackling drill during the brutal session which another teammate described as the hardest and most physical he’s had in three to four years.
“Yesterday’s main training session was just tackling, that’s what we did to ramp up our pressure,” Betts said.
“He went to turn and I came in for the tackle, and smash.
“I can’t smile because it hurts. It’s killing me.
“It is really frustrating. Knowing the way that we’re playing, you go to training and you want to train hard, and the first contest you get split open and blood everywhere. (Hugh’s) got a cut on his head. I went straight down to the rooms, doc put stitched me up, put a local in it, I went straight back out and split it again, stitch it up again.”
Betts said the Crows had recognised their pressure — or lack of — had become a serious issue, following Champion Data stats this week that revealed Adelaide was now ranked worst in the competition for “pressure factor”.
“It all comes down to pressure and hitting the contest,” Betts told FIVEaa on Thursday.
“It’s been frustrating, the last month the way that we’ve played. We’ve been ahead by more than 30 points some matches and we’ve had lapses and they’ve come back and they end up running over us.”
Betts is among several veteran Crows, including co-captain Taylor Walker, who have come under scrutiny again this week following Adelaide’s second-half fade out against Essendon which generated 79 of its 96 points from the back half.
“I saw that article about our ageing legs. I took it personally myself. I’m the oldest on the list, the grandfather. Poppa they call me.
“You don’t really listen to that stuff outside. If you do listen to it it drains your energy. You start not thinking about doing stuff for the team but playing for yourself to get yourself back into form.
“I know with Taylor Walker, there’s been a lot of pressure put on him, but he’s doing the team things. It’s what people don’t see. They want the goals, the big marks. That goes for myself as well.
“But I think the thing that has dropped away for us is the pressure. As a forward group we are not laying enough tackles. Teams are running it out pretty quick and with speed as well and that’s not really helping our defenders. One on one when the ball transitions with speed, it makes it hard to defend.”
Betts, who still has a year left on his contract, said he still felt confident about playing on next year but admitted he had had some moments this season where he thought the game had passed him by.
“When you don’t play that well and the scrutiny is on you, you’re 32, you do think like that,” Betts, who has kicked 32 goals and is averaging 11.9 disposals and 2.5 tackles in his 17 games this season, said.
“I look at games I have played this year and I still know I can play great footy.
“You’ve just got to get some form back and playing great footy and find ways to do that. You got to find ways to lose your opponent, to get up the ground, to not make it easy for your opponent, which I feel I have.
“As a forward you make it easier for your defender if you stay deep. I’ve reviewed my games and I tend to drift deep a bit and stay in our forward line. At my most dangerous I’m up at the contest, I’m getting to more contest. I don’t know why I find myself drifting forward when I know I need to get up the ground … that’s the way I play my best footy.”
Betts said his former side Carlton would provide a big test for the Crows in their first visit to the MCG this season.
“They are playing good footy and have won four of the last five games. It’s going to be tough to play at the MCG, our first game,” Betts said.
“We’ve got to try to turn our form around, it’s up to us as players. We are still in the eight but fans out there should be frustrated and angry. But knowing we are still in the eight and a game clear, any team below us would love to be in our position with five rounds to go. The fate’s in our hands.”