AFL News

Eddie Betts’ top five career goals

Fair to say there’s been some beauties.

Published by
Aidan Cellini

On the eve of his 300th game, Eddie Betts has listed the top five goals of his career, as seen in The Age.

Betts has kicked 569 goals in his 299 games as one of the most skilled and dynamic players to ever grace an AFL field.

From when he debuted in 2005 against the Roos in round one to this current date, Betts has been able to get fans on their feet with his knack to kick impossible goals.

He was awarded with three goal-of-the-year honors (2006, 2015 and 2016) and probably could have received many more.

He has narrowed it down to a top five:

Round 13, 2014, Adelaide v North Melbourne

At number five, Betts was in his first year at Adelaide and made himself known very quickly.

Crumbing off a long kick down the line that landed just outside 50 near the boundary, Betts' brilliant skills and knowledge to know where to be at what time meant he was first to the ball at speed.

He was then able to checkside the footy from 40 metres out on the boundary line with Aaron Mullet trying to prevent the impossible goal.

In Eddie fashion, it goes through and the Eddie Betts' pocket was created.

Betts: "I hit the ball at pace in the pocket and to kick it like that, at full pace, and for it to go through was unbelievable. The Eddie Betts' pocket? That is where it all stemmed from," he told The Age.

Betts' has provided fans with many highlights and the task to create a top five would've taken some time going through the archives.

Round 21, 2006, Carlton v Collingwood, MCG

The traditional rivalry of Carlton and Collingwood seems to always provide fans with plenty of excitement and this game was no different.

Betts: "Heath Scotland just got knocked out by Alan Didak in the middle of the ground. I can run through the play if you want."

After that incident, a young forward saw himself hemmed into the pocket in front of 57,000 fans with Tarkyn Lockyer and Simon Prestigiacomo licking their lips.

Prior to that, he smothered the ball from a Lockyer handball and gathered the ball along the boundary line.

What happens next is history.

This was the beginning of Eddie Betts.

Round 18, 2011, Carlton v Essendon, MCG

Towards the end of his Carlton era, Betts produced some magic that night and was unlucky not to get the nod for the 2011 Goal of the Year with this performance.

Betts collected the ball next to the point post, baulked Henry Slattery, wrong foots young a young Dyson Heppell and finds himself with no room.

He then somehow manages to snap the ball through the big sticks with immense pressure coming from his right.

Betts:"I rate that Essendon one really, really high. I got it in the pocket and Dyson Heppell was coming the other way to cut me off. I went one way and slipped and got back up, baulked, and went the other way and slid myself around and ended up snapping it through."

 

Round 9, 2015, Adelaide v Fremantle, Adelaide Oval

Betts' second Goal of the Year honour also comes in the AFL's Indigenous Round.

Coming up against the Dockers, Betts, in a similar position to the 2016 goal, gathers the ball from an errant handball from Josh Jenkins and torpedoes the footy on his opposite foot where the arc meets the boundary.

Champion goal-kicker Jason Dunstall says after the goal, "I don't care who you are, you are not entitled to kick that."

"Eddie Betts, not his pocket, no way, not from there ... oooh Eddie, feed the frenzy Eddie," Fox Commentator Dwayne Russell calls.

Round 10,2016, Adelaide v GWS, Adelaide Oval

This round was of large significance to Betts as it was Indigenous Round but also because his Aunty Susie designed the jumper the Crows wore that evening.

Almost giving up on a trickling ball toward the boundary, Betts decided to keep it in, evade GWS defender Nick Haynes and snap it from deep in the pocket with Adam Tomlinson all over him. This did give him the honours of his third goal of the year.

 

Published by
Aidan Cellini