Eddie Betts’ and Sydney Stack’s embrace will remain an uplifting and positive image of this season. Picture CHANNEL 7
Few moments during the 2019 AFL season have given footy fans as much of that magnificent warm and fuzzy feeling as this one did.
The scene could hardly have been more perfect.
Eddie Betts pounces on a loose ball and drifts towards the boundary line, deep in the north-eastern corner of Adelaide Oval.
He’s been here before. So many times, in fact, and with so much success, that the pocket has been unofficially named in his honour.
Regular convention commands he straightens up towards the big sticks, but Eddie knows better. He slows down the universe for a second and fires a snapshot around his body on his right boot, which should bend away from the goals.
It follows that curve ever so slightly, but he’s so deadly accurate that the ball wraps around the inside of the left-hand upright. Two fingers up from the goal umpire. It’s more Betts magic; cue delirium amongst Crows fans.
It’s the third time Betts has produced such a freakish goal at the same end of Adelaide Oval this season. Yet there’s more to this latest clip on the highlights reel that sets it apart from the others.
Betts had been shadowed by Richmond youngster Sydney Stack throughout the night. The precocious teenager had peppered his fellow indigenous star with warnings that he wouldn’t be allowed the time or space to produce one of his ridiculous tricks this time around.
“No special goals tonight, brother,” Stack said.
In the final quarter, with the clock ticking down towards the siren and an important Adelaide victory, he was proved wrong in spectacular fashion.
Betts remains the master, and he let Stack know about it with a wag of his finger and a cheeky grin. Stack acknowledged the sublime piece of skill and the pair’s subsequent embrace will remain an uplifting and positive image of the season when it comes time to reflect.
Ignore the suggestions of widespread outrage, drummed up by some commentators scrambling for talking points.
Betts’ small personal win over Stack was emblematic of a contest in which Adelaide pressed its case for a top-four berth.
Richmond lost Trent Cotchin and Shane Edwards to hamstring complaints pre-match, further depleting an injury-hit list, and fought bravely. But it couldn’t go with the Crows when they kicked up a gear in the final term in front of a fervent home crowd.
There were sour notes for Adelaide, too.
It had already lost Daniel Talia (quad), Jake Kelly (calf) and Lachlan Murphy (teeth) before Josh Jenkins landed awkwardly on his right leg, jolting his knee backwards in the dying seconds of the match.
Jenkins had answered his critics by kicking multiple goals in each of his three matches since being recalled from the SANFL – two against Melbourne, three against GWS and four against the Tigers.
All were Crows victories, but football can be a cruel game. The key forward will now be sidelined for an extended period as his side targets a top-four finish.
Much like Jenkins, Adelaide co-captain Taylor Walker put his doubters back in their place with another strong showing, kicking three goals.
Damien Hardwick’s Tigers, meanwhile, limped back to Melbourne to lick their wounds over a long weekend.
Their mid-season bye undoubtedly comes at a good time, giving them a week to regroup and, hopefully, regain some troops for the back half of a campaign that is in danger of unravelling after three successive losses.
What had initially (when the fixtures were released) appeared to be a regulation clash with St Kilda at Marvel Stadium on June 30 now takes on much greater significance.
Who knows what Richmond can expect from the Saints, who edged out struggling Gold Coast in Townsville.
Thursday night’s feel-good moment preceded several controversial incidents.
Hawthorn captain Ben Stratton will front the tribunal on Tuesday night for repeatedly pinching Orazio Fantasia and stomping on Shaun McKernan’s foot during his side’s loss to Essendon.
The pinching was labelled “serious misconduct” and Stratton later expressed regret, admitting it “wasn’t a great look” for football. However, the experienced defender now faces a stint on the sidelines as his side strives to keep its faint finals hopes alive.
Stratton was also fined $1000 for making an obscene finger gesture towards Essendon fans.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said there had been no directive from the league to clamp down on fan behaviour, yet heightened security at grounds intimidated some fans and left others feeling as if they had been gagged.
A handful of fans did go over the top, with crowd violence after the siren marring a nail-biter as the Western Bulldogs survived a late Carlton fightback.
It needs to stop.
The Blues, in their second outing under caretaker coach David Teague, twice launched comebacks from more than five goals down but fell three points short in the end despite seven goals from Charlie Curnow in a coming-of-age display.
Another knee injury to Tom Liberatore put a dampener on the Dogs’ celebrations.
In the west, Michael Walters lit up Optus Stadium with six goals, firing Fremantle back into the top eight with a hard-fought win over Port Adelaide.
Seven lead changes made for an entertaining contest that wasn’t settled until the dying stages when Brandon Matera and Walters kicked truly.
Hamish Hartlett did well for the Power in his return from more than a year out with a serious knee injury, as did Griffin Logue for the Dockers in his first senior match since 2017.
Toby Greene returned from injury for Greater Western Sydney and kicked three goals in a win over North Melbourne in Hobart, with teammates Stephen Coniglio and Josh Kelly also in fine touch.
