Crows star Eddie Betts ends speculation on his future as he vows to see out his contract
STAR Crows small forward Eddie Betts has ended speculation about his playing future by declaring he will see out the final two years of his contract.
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STAR Crows small forward Eddie Betts has ended speculation about his playing future by declaring he will see out the final two years of his contract.
The 560-goal pocket rocket, who has been Adelaide’s leading goalkicker in each of the past four years, turns 32 in November and has struggled with injury and form this season, leading to talk that he might pull the pin early on his stellar career.
But Betts on Wednesday declared he would remain in the Crows’ tricolours until the end of 2020.
“Sooner or later my time will come,’’ Betts told FIVEaa.
“You can’t play footy forever and you’ve got to try to make most of it while you are in the game.
“I’ve got two years left on my contract and I believe I’ll see that out.
“This season hasn’t been my best season but I still believe I’ve got a lot of good footy to play.
“We’re not going to play finals this year so I am focusing on having a nice break and then getting stuck into having a massive pre-season and getting my body right.’’
Betts, who took a mark of the year contender in the dying stages of Sunday’s nine-point win against North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval to goal and seal the win for the Crows, has managed just 26 goals in 17 games this year because of injury and form struggles.
He has missed four games with two separate hamstring strains and booted three goals or more only three times.
In the previous four seasons — his first at the Crows after playing 184 games and kicking 290 goals for Carlton from 2005-13 — Betts kicked 51, 63, 75 and 55 goals.
Betts will not win Adelaide’s goalkicking award for the first time at his new club as he trails key forward Josh Jenkins (39 goals) by 13 with just Saturday night’s clash against the Blues at Etihad Stadium to play.
Of his spectacular mark against the Kangaroos which ended the visitors’ comeback, Betts said:
“I told ‘Doc’ Clarke (assistant coach Matthew Clarke) during the week that I was going to have a crack at a big mark and I needed to find a teammate (ruckman Sam Jacobs) to jump on, so I went for it.’’
Betts’ mark drew praise from star Australian basketballer and Philadelphia 76ers’ 2016 NBA No. 1 draft pick and last season's rookie of the year Ben Simmons.
Simmons, on his Instagram feed, lauded Betts as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) while he was watching the game on vacation in Australia holding a series of talent camps.
“I was in the changerooms going through my phone and this little thing (notification) came up and I’m like ‘what, Ben Simmons, my boy’’, so I' m walking around the room showing the boys and saying ‘hey, look at this’,’’ Betts said.
“It made my day.’’
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Originally published as Crows star Eddie Betts ends speculation on his future as he vows to see out his contract