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Eddie Betts (Calder Cannons)
173/75 mid-age right foot (dual-sided) FP/Rover.
*STYLE LIKE: Milne/B Harvey
*HURT FACTOR (Offensive/Defensive/Negative):
- Medium-High / Medium / Low.
*TRADEMARK:
- Zip past, or through, traffic then a freakish running/snap goal from close in, possibly after weaving some magic to steal or vacuum the ball up. Any Betts trademark must feature references to "steal", "zip" and "snap goal".
*SUMMARY ASSESSMENT, RECOMMENDATION:
- Super-smart small flashy FP/rover who can turn a game. Is very crisp. Clean hands, quick creative mind, decisive. Importantly, whatever he can do, he can reliably do quickly, cleanly and under pressure. Only small but is quick, clean, smart, balanced, equally at home inside or outside, and extremely dangerous around goals.
- Groin and fitness-hampered '04 (although he still showed his ability in cameo). Was unfit and extremely overweight so I view his '04 in the context of
"If he can do what he did this year while that hampered by groin problems and that overweight, how good could he have been if fit?"
In assessing him, I have put more emphasis on what he showed in '03 than on his '04 form.
- Most people would describe him as a tiny, slippery, quick goal-kicking FP. That sells him short (pardon the pun). He is indeed an extremely creative manufacturer of goals. However, many people have him pigeon-holed and I wish to be critical of such labelling:-
1. "Too small":
He is small but not too small for AFL. He is now 2cm taller than Matera, marginally taller than Brent Harvey (who was a very similar type a few years ago), and only 1cm shorter than Crawford. Last year he was officially only 170cm and weighed only 62kg. He is now 173/75. Admittedly about 5kg of that is blubber (which does him no credit) but the point is that he is not in a league of his own among current, quality AFL players re small height. IMPORTANTLY he has exceptionally long arms for his height and a big leap, which help to at least partially offset height disadvantage. I have seen him legitimately spoil overhead marks that Cooney (186cm) and others have looked set to take. McQualter is the sort of player who gives him a hard time, rather than taller opponents, but he will at least have some productive burst in virtually every game, regardless of opponent.
Admittedly you have to be special at his size …. and he is. He can change the entire complexion of a game in 10 minutes at U18 level and I've yet to hear a good argument as to why wouldn't be able to do the same at AFL level.
2. "Strictly a forward pocket":
I strongly disagree. We should not underestimate his ability on-ball and elsewhere, including centre clearances, even for AFL tempo. It needs to be stressed that he most certainly gets his own ball and has shown he can mix it with the best of his peers as an onballer. At the U18 Champs last year, as a waif-like 170/62 mainly FP / part-time rover:-
(a) He had 20 (!!) hardball gets, including 12 in one game.
(b) 5 of his 9 clearances were centre-bounce, including 4 CBCs in one game.
(c) His gross tally of 56 disposals for the series was one of the highest across all teams, despite spending plenty of time either around goals or on the bench. At least 21 disposals in 2 of those 3 games and didn't come on until well into the game in the other.
(d) Many people would be surprised that, of those 56 possessions, a mere 8 came from handball receives.
(e) 9 effective tackles.
(f) He earned All Australian honours despite being below-age, and he didn't earn AA for just his forward work.
(g) Yes, that was U18 but he beat opponents, including when playing onball, who were subsequently drafted as potential AFL onballers.
(h) He also showed he can play HFF and wing, at least at that level.
Even extremely overweight and unfit in this year's TAC GF, he had 19 disposals (13 kicks, 3 handballs) including 6 HBGs and 2 centre-bounce clearances.
He is so dangerous around goals, especially his ability to ROUTINELY create something out of nothing, that his forte at AFL level will be around goals. However, I definitely do not share the popular view that he is just a FP. He is very much more than an opportunist.
I very much see him as capable of potential onball effectiveness at AFL level, despite his size. Also up-field roles, primarily HFF. He has a lot more to his game that a Davey, Milne, Matera, Medhurst etc. He can be too slippery for the tightest of opponents, regardless of their quality. Yes, he will sometimes be beaten overhead but I could see him being just as effective at HFF as FP and I certainly see him as a rotating rover at AFL level.
- The current trend is for clubs to be reluctant to take anyone under 183cm, let alone someone 173cm. Very few clubs, perhaps only one or two, will even consider him but I expect him to get drafted, albeit latish, perhaps late 3rd round. Nevertheless, regardless of popular opinion and at the risk of ridicule, I rank him extremely early on my list at 12 and believe he is definite AFL. I do recognise that size is important. I just can't accept that it is the be all and end all when it comes to players who have exceptional abilities that defy normal convention and limits. This kid is no Dinnell or Kenna.
Ready possibly as early as year 2.
*DISPOSAL:
- Very dangerous around goals. Kicks a lot of freak goals but doesn't waste bread and butter opportunities either. In TAC games, 36g 19b in '03, and 21g 10b in '04. Averaged just over 2 goals a game during his 2 years as U18 (TAC and U18 Champs) and goaled in 28 of those 32 games.
- Dual-sided. Usually uses his right but is very competent and comfortable using his left also. Only exception is that he doesn't trust his left foot enough for a set shot, even from the right-hand boundary, and I don't understand why he does this as it is probably the only shot for goal that gives him a poor result.
- Struggles for depth in his kicks. That's his Achilles heel. Has an almost typical indigenous kicking style and kicks can tend to be floaters.
- Weights his passes well and is quite reliable up to 35m but, although he is dynamite around goals, he is not as reliable a pass or feed as I would like, especially kicking beyond about 30-35m. His less-than-glorious stats for effectiveness, however, don't allow for the high percentage of his possessions (and hence disposals) that he has under great pressure in tight quarters. Not that his effectiveness stats are disastrous, just that he is more efficient than they indicate.
- Very quick hands.
*DECISION-MAKING, SMARTS:
- A natural footballer. Makes the right decisions. Razor-sharp brain and reflexes.
- Reads the ball and nearby play brilliantly. Superior rover of the pack / spill. Daicos-like freakish goal-kicking ability from close range and adeptness in routinely stealing the ball and creating something out of nothing. Incredible anticipation - regardless of foot speed, his anticipation alone wins him a lot of "contests". Quick brain - he is incredibly clever and creative. Words like "incredible" are often misplaced but not in his case.
- Excellent sharp evasion. Slippery as. Excellent inside traffic.
- Very good at working opponents under the ball (or similar) and slipping back underneath them, and at losing his opponent in traffic, especially at stop plays
- Good vision.
- Shows some on-field leadership in directing team mates where to go. (Even last year as a below-age kid).
*HANDS:
- Sometimes not clean overhead this year but superior handling at all other levels, regardless of pressure.
*OVERHEAD MARKING:
- Not a feature of his game at 173cm and he is no Matera, let alone Medhurst or Farmer, but he is surprisingly capable for his height. Wasn't as good this year (overweight) as '03 but still had his moments. eg Even as an unfit porker, he took a legitimate one-grab pack mark under great pressure mid-pack in a final this year, the pack including the tall full-forward. When fit, he takes his share of one-grab (sometimes vice-like) marks under great pressure in front one-on-one against opponents up to about 183cm.
- Excellent leap and long arms help.
*ATHLETICISM:
- Was hampered by injury, unfit and extremely overweight this year. Ignore his '04 DC athletics tests on that basis.
- When fit, he is lightning over the first few metres and very quick over "normal" distance. Excellent acceleration. Also loves a dash and opens up a gap very quickly. Excellent closing speed in a chase.
- Excellent agility. Cat-like, including recovery.
- Very significantly, given his small stature, his arms are 6cm longer than average.
- Excellent leap for his size (although he seldom has cause to display it as he plays low to the ground)
- Despite his size, is good body-on-body. Good natural balance.
*INTENSITY, ETHIC:
- On-field, he is no soft/lazy stereotype FP. Attacks ball, man and his marks. Averaged 2.4 tackles last year and 3.7 this year. Had a tackle count of 12 in one game. Is excellent running past traffic but is just as happy to charge into and through traffic. Gets plenty of HBGs.
- Off-field ethic has to be questioned, given the very poor shape he let himself get into this year while battling groin problems in conjunction with trying to bulk up.
- Unselfish team player. Does all the 1%er and 2nd effort stuff. Chases, tackles, smothers, blocks. Unselfish even around goals, which is unusual for someone who plays FP a lot.
- Good, effective, tackler despite his size and even when tackling a much bigger, stronger opponent.
- Courageous and desperate.
- Runs hard, runs on.
*CONSISTENCY:
- Given his roles, he is consistent when fit and when afforded enough opportunities.
*AFL VERSATILITY:
(see above)
- FP, rover, HFF at least.
*SCI (SCOPE FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT):
- No special factors. (Ignoring the fact that '04 was virtually a wasted season due to groin injury). Originally from "outback" WA but has been in the TAC system a couple of years now.
*QUERY:
- Depth and power in his kicks. That's my only major on-field concern re AFL, not height.
- Off-field ethic in doing all he can to maintain maximum fitness, even when affected by injury. (I was most disappointed, to put it very mildly, in the shape he let himself get into while trying to manage his groin problems in '04).
*SOME STATS:
- TAC: Averaged 13 disposals in 10 TAC games. 1.8 marks. 3.7 tackles. Total 21 goals-10. 2.3 kicks per handball. 14% of his possessions are marks. Never more than 20 disposals in his 27 game TAC history but much of his time has been spent in FP.
- Mid-way trend .. % change in disposals was + 2%. % change in marks was + 25%. % change in tackles was + 47%.
- Stats summary '04 U18 Champs:
Averaged 11 disposals and 0.5 marks in his 2 games. (Best TD 15).
Kicks to feeds: 12-10 (1.2:1).
Kicks long vs short: 3-6 (1:2.0).
Kicking accuracy: 2/12 ineffective incl 2 clangers.
Handball accuracy: 6/10 ineffective incl 1 clangers.
Total accuracy: 8/22 ineffective incl 3 clangers.
Gets own ball?: 2/22TD were HR. 11 HBG.
S.P. clearances: 2 incl 1 BU incl 0 CBC.
Tackles: 5
Marking: 1 (contested).
- Stats summary for entire '03 U18 Champs:
Kicks vs feeds: mixed
Gets own ball?: most definitely only 8/56TD were HR and had 20 hbg!! amazing stats for someone so tiny and known mainly for his quickness
Kicks long vs short: mixed.
Kicking accuracy: 7/34 ineff/clang incl 3 clang
Handball accuracy: 6/22 ineff/clang incl 1 clang
Marking: 2 (uncontested)
Tackles: 9
SP clearances: 9 incl 5 cbc
*OTHER STUFF:
- All Aust LY.
- 3 Morrish Medal votes '04 (polled in 1 game), after 9 (4 games) in '03.
- 3 Coaches Award votes '04 (polled in 1 game), after 6 (2 games) in '03.
- Cousin of a number of current AFL players.
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