Eddie Betts - AFL Career

AFL Career

After being overlooked in the National Draft, Betts was recruited to the AFL through the 2005 Pre-Season Draft by the Carlton Football Club with the No. 3 pick. He attracted attention as a lively small forward during the 2005 Pre-Season, and made his AFL debut in Round 1, 2005 against North Melbourne. His early performances saw him become a regular member of the senior team, filling the niche of goal-sneak and chaser for the club, while his sometimes freakish displays of skill saw him labelled an excitement machine by commentators.

Throughout his first four seasons, Betts had a consistent output of 20-25 goals as a small forward playing underneath full forward Brendan Fevola. In 2006, Betts won the Goal of the Year, for his goal in Round 21 against Collingwood; in an amazing solo effort, Betts smothered Tarkyn Lockyer's attempted clearing kick, ran to gather it just before it went out of bounds, and steadied himself to score with a banana from an impossible angle. From 2007, Betts began to spend some rotations as a midfielder, particularly late in the season after the appointment of Brett Ratten as Carlton coach, but remained primarily a small forward.

From 2009, Betts' goalkicking output increased. He kicked 38 goals in 2009, then 42 in 2010 to top Carlton's goal kicking for the first time. He played his 100th AFL game in Round 3, 2010 against Essendon at the MCG. His 2010 season saw him make the top 10 in the club Best and Fairest for the first time. Betts kicked another 50 goals in 2011, including a career-best eight goals against Essendon in Round 18, and then 48 goals in 2012 to be the club's leading goalkicker for the second time. He finished second in the best and fairest in 2012, narrowly beaten by Heath Scotland, and he was nominated in the 40-man All-Australian squad in both 2011 and 2012, but did not make the final team in either year.