Eddie Betts predicts Izak Rankine to go top three in the AFL Draft, reveals words of advice to Chad Wingard
STAR Adelaide forward Eddie Betts remains hopeful young gun Izak Rankine will find his way to West Lakes in next month’s draft but is worried about a cross-city raid. He has revealed his advice to Chad Wingard, and his new off-season vice.
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STAR Adelaide small forward Eddie Betts remains hopeful young West Adelaide protege Izak Rankine will find his way to West Lakes in next months’ AFL draft.
Betts has trained and mentored Rankine in recent months, with the 17-year-old revealing in August he’d love to play alongside the veteran at the Crows.
But while holding out hope the excitement machine becomes a Crow, Betts won’t be surprised if he finds himself an AFL home across town at Port Adelaide.
“He actually text me this morning,’’ Betts said on FIVEaa on Friday morning.
“He’s up in Tennant Creek at the moment with Pauly Vandenberg who looks after the Port Adelaide indigenous program, they’re (Port Adelaide) trying to recruit him I think.
“I think he’s going to go top 1, 2 or 3 I reckon, so we’ll probably have no chance, but if he slips hopefully the Crows can pounce on him.”
The Crows have four picks inside the top 21 — No’s 8, 13, 16 and 21 — in next month’s draft and the Power has three selections inside the first 15 — 5, 10 and 15.
Carlton has the first pick — which it is expected to use on Geelong gun Sam Walsh — and Gold Coast owns picks two, three and six while St Kilda has the fourth selection.
Betts, who has been travelling, said he hadn’t been following much of the off-season action but revealed fellow Crow small forward Lachlan Murphy had turned to the veteran Crow in an anxious moment during trade period as Adelaide strengthened its forward stocks by recruiting Richmond’s Tyson Stengle and Sturt’s Shane McAdam.
“Lachy text me and said, ‘they’re getting another small forward, I’m stressed’,’’ Betts joked of Murphy, 19, who played 11 games and kicked 12 goals after completing his journey from
Crowmania shop assistant to AFL footballer in the first game of the 2018 season.
“I just said, ‘Don’t worry Lachy, you’ll be right, just train hard, work hard’.
“It will be good to have two young indigenous kids in. It’s going to be good and exciting.”
Betts said he had also reached out to new Hawk Chad Wingard after he was traded to Hawthorn.
“It’s always hard, I text him yesterday to say if you want a chat, I’m here for you,’’ Betts said.
“I know what it’s like to leave a footy club you love, and you love the fans as well, it’s one of the hardest decisions you’ll make in your life.
“Once he gets over that period and starts training with the boys he’ll be fantastic.”
Betts said being alongside former Power players Jarman Impey and four-time premiership star Shaun Burgoyne would make the transition to Melbourne a lot smoother.
“You’ve got great leaders in Shaun Burgoyne, who’s one of the best indigenous leaders in the AFL and he’s got a friend to make him more comfortable in Jarman Impey,’’ Betts said.
“Fans are going to love him over there.
“The fresh start, new faces, new game plan it’s a bit different but it’s good for you.
And Betts has a new love in his life — tiramisu.
The star Adelaide forward discovered the dessert during his off season holiday in Italy.
“Italy was unbelievable,’’ Betts said.
“There is a desert called tiramisu, I had no idea what it was, I had a scoop of it, took it back on my plate and sat and I was like “oh my god, unbelievable.
“The next night I went there it was all gone before I got there.
“So the next night, before I got my dinner, I went up when it was nice and fresh and grabbed a big scoop,’’ he said.
Betts said the break was a great holiday, totally detached from the stresses of AFL football and what was happening back home during the trade period.
“To be honest I didn’t know what day it was,’’ he said.
Betts will return to training with the rest of the Crows’ senior players in November 19.