AFL 2020: Gary Buckenara says it’s time Carlton let Eddie Betts go
Another list cull is on the way at Carlton but, if players are pushed out, who replaces them? List guru Gary Buckenara says star Patrick Cripps desperately needs help, but which of Jack Graham or Brad Crouch is the answer?
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Eddie Betts will play his 199th game for Carlton on Saturday night.
Former Hawthorn recruiter Gary Buckenara said it should also be his last, calling on the gun forward to follow fellow Blues favourite son Kade Simpson out the door.
“A year is a long time to keep a guy on a list for one more game,” Buckenara said.
“You’d like to give (Betts) the option to play on but, with lists getting cut, I don’t think sentiment is going to play too much of a part.
“As much as I hate to say it, because I love (Eddie), I would have the conversation with (him) that this is it – next week is the last one.”
Some clubs seem to think lists will be cut to 40 senior players and two rookies, and another big cleanout is looming at the Blues.
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Callum Moore, Cameron Polson, Darcy Lang, Harrison Macreadie, Hugh Goddard and Ben Silvagni are all out of contract, as well as Betts and Simpson and Matthew Kreuzer, who retired last week.
How many will be there next year? The Blues aren’t exactly spring chickens.
They’re the old, dark navy Blues – ranking sixth for age (average 26) and fifth for experience (average 106.2 games).
If you remove Betts and Simpson from this year’s profile the Blues drop to the 12th oldest (25.2) and 11th most experienced (85.5).
But Ed Curnow turns 31 in November, Levi Casboult will turn 31 before Round 1 next year and Marc Murphy is 33.
Buckenara said the emergence of Tom De Koning should force the Blues to rethink Casboult’s future.
“Do they actually need him now that De Koning should take his spot as that forward-ruckman?” he said.
“They’ve re-signed him – but that doesn’t mean he’s safe and they won’t move him on to somebody that wants him.”
Richmond premiership midfielder Jack Graham is high on Carlton’s shopping list to support captain Patrick Cripps, who often has to do all the heavy lifting himself.
“They probably need one more of those big-bodied midfielders,” Buckenara said.
“(Brad) Crouch is another one, but you don’t want to go for both him and Graham.
“From a list management point of view you choose one and try to get them across the line.
“They still need a bit more quality in the midfield and some better kicks coming off halfback, because they’re going to have to replace Kade Simpson, who’s a good distributor of the footy.”
Those with a deep knowledge of the Blues also want to see a culture change.
Are players too familiar with losing? Were they more interested in chairing off a past player in Bryce Gibbs than feeling embarrassed about losing to Adelaide on Sunday?
Do they need midfielders who run both ways? Curnow is supreme at that and then it falls away.
Some rivals wonder whether the Blues will ever break their mould of mediocrity.
Will their rise peak in the lower rungs of the top eight or as a legitimate premiership threat?
That could hinge on whether top-10 picks Paddy Dow, Sam Petrevski-Seton and Lochie O’Brien unlock their potentials.
Former list manager Stephen Silvagni rated competitive midfielder Liam Stocker in the top 10 of the 2018 super draft although he could need a fresh start to flourish.
Triple-premiership forward Cameron Mooney reckons 22-year-old clunker Harry McKay is so impressive he’ll succeed Cripps as captain.
Buckenara was bullish about an even younger bunch.
“They’ve got seven younger players coming through who can be at least B-grade players,” Buckenara said.
“That’s De Koning, Dow, Brodie Kemp, Lochie O’Brien, Sam Philp, Liam Stocker and Sam Walsh.
“When you look at the taller guy like De Koning, he might be one they can get a bit excited about.
“They’re tracking along nicely. If you get a mix of B-grade and A-grade out of those seven players then a lot will depend on their success if they do.”
Eddie wants answers on future
Eddie Betts is keen to have his future at Carlton decided before this weekend as the Blues weigh up his tackling and leadership with a clear drop-off in goals and assists.
Betts’ manager Garry Winter told the Herald Sun on Monday Betts was determined to play on and believed he still had excellent football left in him.
With the Blues still having had a mathematical chance to make finals until their loss to Betts’ old club Adelaide any decision had been postponed.
The Herald Sun reported last week Marc Murphy has signed a new one-year deal, while Kade Simpson is considered likely to farewell the Blues faithful against Brisbane this week.
Carlton would not comment on retirement discussions for Simpson yesterday despite speculation he will hang up his boots after a brilliant 341 game-career.
Betts wants to be judged on his football talent alone and not his capacity to deliver indigenous programs, with plans to transition into that field after his AFL career.
But the Blues will have to decide on whether he can still make an impact at Carlton in a team that missed out on Tom Papley last week, with the Sydney forward having decided to stay put at the Swans.
“His view is that he still has a lot to give,” Winter told the Herald Sun.
“Everyone is caught up in how many goals he is kicking and I think his defensive work doesn’t quite get the rating it deserves given the pressure he puts on.
“So we will be speaking to the club this week. We wanted to calm everything down given the club had a mathematical chance on Sunday.
“I would hope before the season ends we would know. While it’s tough for Eddie, I really do empathise with clubs on how difficult a decision it is for them. He is just focusing on a decision that would see him play next year, rather than considering a farewell.”
If Simpson moves into retirement the Blues will have ample cover at half back given they have a bevy of small and medium-sized defenders.
Betts’ situation is more complicated as he is in Carlton’s best side at present.
He has kicked the 17th-most goals among small forwards of the 144 to play a game this year.
The 33-year-old kicked 37 goals last year at Adelaide but has scored only 13 times this season, averaging 0.9 goals, 0.9 score assists and four score involvements.
He has gone goalless in six of his past eight games despite 21.7 forward half pressure points, up on his 19.1 in his last year at Carlton.
Hawthorn’s Shaun Burgoyne has just signed a one-year deal that will see him transition into working on indigenous programs for the Hawks in a long-term role.
The AFL has just taken Carlton’s next generation academy into the league’s own control again, which puts some of the Blues’ specific indigenous programs for the NGA program up in the air.
Regardless Betts has a massive future in education and indigenous issues, having worked as a support teacher in secondary schools and having completed a certificate in education.
BLUES TO MISS OUT ON PAPLEY AGAIN
– Jay Clark
Sydney Swans’ star full forward Tom Papley will remain at the club next season.
The livewire forward made the decision last week and has informed rival clubs through his manager, Winston Rous, that he is not interested in moving clubs.
News Corp has confirmed Papley has told the Swans he will wear red and white next year.
It is a blow for Carlton which targeted the clever goal kicker in last year’s trade period.
The deal with Sydney fell over but the Blues were hopeful Papley would still arrive in 2021.
It is a major boost for Sydney which was determined to keep Papley and remained confident he would honour his current contract.
Papley was homesick last year but spent more time home in Victoria this year during the COVID-19 shutdown.
He is one of the best small forwards in the league.
The Swans remain interested in Essendon spearhead Joe Daniher but will not pay overs for the goal kicker.
Daniher will weigh up a big decision at season’s end.
Essendon will match any free agency offer from Sydney for Daniher.
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Originally published as AFL 2020: Gary Buckenara says it’s time Carlton let Eddie Betts go