From freakish goals to a preliminary final burst and Showdown masterclass, Eddie Betts’ top-six moments at the Crows
Eddie Betts is officially a Blue after being traded back to the club where it all started. But he’s left Crows fans with countless memories. Here are our top-six Betts moments from the past six years.
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From freakish goals to Showdown masterclasses, there were countless memorable moments in Eddie Betts six years at the Crows.
1. THE 2017 PRELIMINARY FINAL
The stage was set. Former Crow Patrick Dangerfield and the Cats were in town and, after a convincing victory in the qualifying final over the Giants, Adelaide was one win away from its first grand final appearance in 20 years. Enter Eddie Betts.
Adelaide sent the ball forward in the opening minute and just as Geelong defender Zach Tuohy was about to take possession, Betts slides in, wins the ball and fires out a handpass to teammate Charlie Cameron who kicks the first goal of the game.
Less than a minute later, again, in his ‘pocket’, Betts glides past a forward-50 stoppage, takes the ball as it spills out and puts the Crows two goals clear. The record crowd erupts and they are never silenced as the Crows ran out 61-point winners.
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2. GOAL OF THE YEAR v NORTH MELBOURNE, 2014
It was the unofficial birth of ‘Eddie’s pocket’. After a subdued start to the Round 13 clash against North Melbourne in 2014 – his second year at West Lakes - Betts brought the crowd to life.
As the ball spilt toward the boundary from a Taylor Walker marking contest, Betts, as he did so often, took possession at full-speed where the 50m line meets the boundary.
With North Melbourne defender Aaron Mullet fast approaching, there was little time to think. But that’s never been an issue for the mercurial forward, who took four steps before slotting a right-foot checkside snap from 45 metres out.
It was pandemonium in front of the Adelaide Oval scoreboard with the excitement almost outweighed by disbelief of a moment not one of those spectators, who witnessed Betts’ goal of the year up-close, will forget.
3. CELEBRATING WITH SYDNEY STACK, 2019
Northern pocket. Front-and-centre. Eddie Betts snap. It’s an all too familiar story but this one has a different ending.
Betts snaps truly, running towards the boundary line, in a trademark finish but it’s not just Crows teammates who rush to celebrate.
Young tiger Sydney Stack, the defender who lost Betts in the initial marking contest, is just as impressed, sharing an embrace – full of mutual respect – with Betts in one of the most talked about moments of 2019.
4. SHOWDOWN 41, 2016
With less than a minute remaining in Showdown 41 and Adelaide leading by nine points, Betts curls through a left-foot snap at the southern end of Adelaide Oval, after another textbook crumb, to put the result beyond in doubt.
It capped another five-goal, best-on-ground performance against the Power, following the same haul in Showdown 40.
The celebration was marred, however, with a woman from the crowd throwing a banana in Betts’ direction. But highlighting Betts’ character, he was willing to forgive – and even help educate – the fan, following the incident.
5. GOAL OF THE YEAR v GWS, 2016
Wearing the guernsey designed by his aunty, Betts worked his magic along the boundary line, this time on the other side of Adelaide Oval’s northern end.
GWS defender Nick Haynes wanted nothing but to see the ball out-of-play but Betts had other ideas, sliding in to win the ball, stopping it on the spot, before dancing around the line and executing a right-foot snap under pressure from a desperate Adam Tomlinson.
It’s the moment which portrays Betts’ ability to make something out of nothing perfectly.
6. 300TH AFL GAME, 2019
And what better to way to celebrate than the 16th five-goal haul of his Adelaide career.
In yet another memroable moment, the fifth was a left-foot checkside snap off five steps, tucked up on the boundary line in the final quarter.
It prompted Fox Footy’s Adam Papalia to label Betts ‘a magician’ but the fans at Adelaide Oval that night already knew that.
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Originally published as From freakish goals to a preliminary final burst and Showdown masterclass, Eddie Betts’ top-six moments at the Crows
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