Eddie Betts reveals the day he almost quit footy

EDDIE Betts was heading out of town on the Hume Highway, just to get away. He tells Mark Robinson what drove him to that point, what saved his footy career and why he left Carlton.

Eddie Betts is now a fan favourite at Adelaide. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

THERE can’t be a happier player in the AFL than Eddie Betts.

The joy he brings to himself — and us watching — projects a feel of absolute satisfaction. The smile, the daggy shorts, the exhilarating football, be it a goal from the “Eddie Betts pocket”, a daredevil tap between the legs of opponents or an exquisite front and square swoop; Betts is the poster boy for animation and anticipation.

It hasn’t always this way, though.

At 22, Betts wanted to quit football.

A gambling problem brought Betts to a point that one day he jumped in his car, headed out on the Hume Highway, passed Craigieburn, past Donnybrook Lane and through Kalkallo, the destination being the crossroads between somewhere and nowhere.

As he neared the turn-off to Kilmore, Betts phoned long-time Carlton official Shane O’Sullivan and broke down.

“I didn’t know what I was doing, I was just driving in the direction towards Sydney,’’ Betts says. “I was really upset. I told him I didn’t want to play footy any more and he told me to turn around and come back. I had the gambling problem, I was stressed out and there were other things going on in my life.

“I went back, went into his office and I cried to Shanno. We had a chat and he put me back on the right track.

“You know, one of the hardest things about leaving Carlton was Shanno was in the room when I told everyone. I hugged him, I cried, I didn’t know what I was supposed to be doing. I went home and cried for a bit and after that I had to move on.’’

Betts had a gambling problem when he was recruited by Carlton at No.3 in the 2005 pre-season draft.

I’m happy to talk about it because once you do get help, your life turns around. I’ve now got two beautiful kids, I own a couple of houses in Melbourne. Life’s different. Life’s great

- Eddie Betts

Pokies were the devil. It wasn’t big fry, but for Betts it was a situation where he spent his weekly allotment of cash pushing buttons.

“I used to spend all my money on the pokies,’’ he said. “But I realised it wasn’t helping me so I went and got help for it. I spoke to the club, and spoke to the Players Association.

“People need role models to help them. You have to surround yourself with the right people. If you’re around negative people, they bring you down, you can’t hang around with them. Like I said, the problem was that bad I went to the players to seek help.

“I had to. The places I went to, I excluded myself from them, so if I went in them again, they could kick me out. I told them to.’’

With his then manager Tom Petroro, Betts visited the betting houses. There was the Tabaret at Moonee Valley racecourse and the Waterloo Hotel in Moonee Ponds.

“There were three or four but they were the main two,’’ Betts said. “I’d go there whenever I had the chance. I was bored and it was mainly the afternoon and nights.

“Tom was pretty good with my money. He’d save everything and give me a weekly base. But with that weekly base, I would spend it on gambling and then I had try to live for the next week. Then I was asking people for money, borrowing money, and then I’d have to pay them back. It wasn’t healthy.

“I’m happy to talk about it because once you do get help, your life turns around. I’ve now got two beautiful kids, I own a couple of houses in Melbourne. Life’s different. Life’s great.’’

Crows star Eddie Betts in Port Lincoln. Picture: Matt Turner

Again, it wasn’t always so.

Born in Port Lincoln to Cindy and Eddie Sr, Betts moved to Kalgoorlie with mum when he was four after his parents split. He was back at Port Lincoln at 13 — mum stayed in Kalgoorlie — and soon enough he joined street dwellers breaking into houses and cars.

He also played football for the Mallee Park Peckers, which was the basis of his salvation, but for a time there, Betts’ life was footy, crime and drugs. Mum returned to Port Lincoln, feared the future and whisked her only son to Melbourne to join a TAFE indigenous program for talented footballers run by North Melbourne star Phil Krakouer.

“She took me away because I was hanging around the wrong crowd,’’ Betts told the Herald Sun in 2010. “I was getting locked up, I was drinking, stealing and smoking. That’s why Mum got me out because she could see I was skipping school and doing drugs. She said, ‘Nah, we have to get you away from this’.”

A skip, hop and a jump, and quickly Betts was a Carlton player.

At first a small forward with class, Betts became a Carlton fan favourite.

But after nine season it was over.

Much to the frustration of those fans, there were several reasons why Betts moved across the border to Adelaide and the Crows.

Even if you could try to match it a little bit, I will stay, 100 per cent I will stay because I love the club so much. But in the end, it didn’t work out like that.

- Eddie Betts

His final season under coach Mick Malthouse was dogged by injury, suspension and so-so form.

“I didn’t have a problem with Mick, it was more so the injuries I had,’’ Betts says.

“I broke my jaw in Round 1 and then I came back, played one game against St Kilda and I broke (Nathan) Wright’s jaw and I got suspended for five weeks down to three on good behaviour. I’ve never been reported before in my life and my first report was five weeks. That last year, it just wasn’t a good year for me.

“To be honest, I didn’t want to leave Carlton. I love the club. I’m a life member. I can remember when I did make the decision, I went in and collected my boots and leaving the rooms, where my No.19 locker was, I saw Kade Simpson. I was crying with Kade. I said, ‘Listen mate, this is the last time I’m going to be here’. I saw Jarrad Waite, I was crying, he said, ‘Don’t worry, we’re still going to be friends’.

“The thing that made me more upset is I had to look at Shane O’Sullivan and tell him I’m was leaving.”

Money and family were significant reasons for his departure.

Dealing, he said, with former recruiting boss Shane Rogers, Betts urged the Blues to lift their offer in a new contract.

“I told Shane I would stay, but I’ve got family back there and this is what the Crows are offering me. Even if you could try to match it a little bit, I will stay, 100 per cent I will stay because I love the club so much. But in the end, it didn’t work out like that and here I am in Adelaide.’’

It’s understood the Crows offered Betts a four-year deal heavily loaded in the first year, but one which would average out to be about $500,000 a year over four years.

Eddie Betts is playing the best footy of his career.

The Blues offered about $300,000 over two years with incentives loaded in for a possible third year.

So the initial scenario was: $2 million guaranteed or $900,000 if he plays well.

Contrary to belief, Betts didn’t agree to leave Carlton during his final season. “That’s 100 per cent not true. I only made the decision to move to Adelaide after the B&F. It was two weeks before the Grand Final.’’

Betts said his dad’s health couldn’t be ignored.

At the time of the decision, Eddie Sr was in Adelaide ICU after having his pancreas removed for alcohol abuse.

Dad’s two older brothers — Betts’ uncles — died because of alcohol.

“Yeah, he’s got a drinking problem, he almost died because he was drinking too much,’’ Betts says.

“He’s given up a lot, but he’s still in the wrong environment. He still drinks but not as much as he used to, like every single day. But I’ve still got to be on his case, you know, ‘It’s not good for you, you’ve got grandchildren, you want to see them grow up’.

“It’s hard because in the environment where he lives, everyone drinks. It’s funny because they’re happy, they’re not grumpy or stressed.’’

He might be gone from the Blues, so too are his close mates in Jeffrey Garlett, Mitch Robinson and Chris Yarran. But the four remain close. “Mates forever,’’ he says. He catches up with Robinson in Brisbane when the Crows travel and Garlett for coffee in Melbourne. Yarran is a different challenge

Betts spoke about Yarran before Yarran was granted indefinite leave by the Tigers.

“I’m feeling for Yaz,’’ he said. “He’s a good young kid, and he’s a great footballer, but he gets down on himself a lot. Once he gets going, he’s an absolute jet of a footballer and I hope he gets back to his best and gets his body right.’’

Former Carlton teammates — and still mates — Jeff Garlett, Eddie Betts and Chris Yarran. Picture: Mark Dadswell/Getty Images

Betts has tried to talk to Yarran about his issues, but he says Yarran is a closed shop.

“I’ve heard a few things about what’s happening off field. I try to ask him if it’s true or not and he’s kind of not opening up to me. The stuff he’s going through is not good.’’

Betts is thriving at his second club.

He says he loves Adelaide and is playing the best footy of his career.

He misses the old gang of Garlett, Yarran and Robinson, but relishes playing at the feet of his new gang, made up of Tex Walker, Tommy Lynch, Josh Jenkins and Charlie Cameron.

“We’re an unselfish group. We love to handball goals off, we share the ball, we’re excited to see other players kick goals in our team, which is a great thing to have in the forward line,’’ Betts says.

He kicked 51 and 63 in his first two seasons at the Crows and 22 from nine games this year. “The three years at Adelaide are the best of my career,’’ he says.

Adelaide the city worried him at first. Told it was fishbowl and full of lunatics, he had to wait to judge it himself.

“From day dot the fans have embraced me with opened arms,’’ he says. “They go crazy every time I go near the ball and I thank them so much, they made me feel welcome.’’

With partner Anna and their two boys, Lewis, 3, and Billy, one, it was family buy-in. They live near Henley Beach and Betts says he coudn’t be happier.

“I’m enjoying my footy, life’s good and I’m happy off the field. If your family’s happy and you’re playing good footy, that’s all that you want.’’

In the discussion as one of the best small forwards since the formation of the national competition, Betts is scheduled to play his 250th game against Port Adelaide in the Showdown and aims to play 300.

From a being pre-season selection and having endured gambling and family issues, and a move from his beloved Carlton, Betts’ story is yet another celebration for Indigenous Round.