# Eddie Betts
**Eddie Betts** (born 1986) is an Australian rules footballer who played 350 AFL games over 17 seasons as a small forward for the [Carlton Football Club](https://www.edgepedia.org/carlton-football-club) and the [Adelaide Football Club](https://www.edgepedia.org/adelaide-football-club), kicking 640 goals and winning the AFL's Goal of the Year award four times.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1986; 174 cm, 74 kg[1](https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/E/Eddie_Betts.html) |
| AFL career | Carlton 2005–13 (184 games), Adelaide 2014–19 (132 games), Carlton 2019–21; 350 games, 640 goals[1](https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/E/Eddie_Betts.html) • [2](https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/document/2019/12/05/b06c0343-543e-408d-945e-89ce08d8d294/AFL_Annual_Report_2017-min.pdf?quot=) |
| Drafted | Pick No. 3, 2005 NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft (Carlton), after being overlooked in the national draft[3](https://www.carltonfc.com.au/players/26) |
| Honours | All Australian 2015, 2016, 2017; Goal of the Year 2006, 2015, 2016, 2019; Carlton leading goalkicker 2010 and 2012[3](https://www.carltonfc.com.au/players/26) |
| Adelaide record | Led the club's goalkicking in his first four seasons, averaging 55 goals; 310 goals in 132 games[4](https://crowshistory.afc.com.au/afl-players/eddie-betts) |
| Milestones | 300th game in Round 5, 2019 (six goals against Gold Coast); 600th goal in 2019; 500th goal in 2016[4](https://crowshistory.afc.com.au/afl-players/eddie-betts) • [5](https://www.afl.com.au/news/59689/how-eddie-betts-has-kicked-his-498-career-goals) |
| Indigenous games record | Passed Andrew McLeod in 2021 for third most games by an Indigenous player in VFL/AFL history[6](https://blueseum.org/mwiki/index.php/Eddie_Betts) |
| Brownlow Medal votes | 42 career votes[3](https://www.carltonfc.com.au/players/26) |
## Early life
Betts was born in Port Lincoln, South Australia, and spent much of his childhood in [Kalgoorlie](https://www.edgepedia.org/kalgoorlie), Western Australia, after his parents separated, shuttling between his mother's home in Kalgoorlie and his father's place in Port Lincoln[6](https://blueseum.org/mwiki/index.php/Eddie_Betts) • [7](https://starnewsgroup.mediabuilder.com.au/data/archive-digital-editions/murrayvalleystandard/2024-02-08_mvst_843_65c36c119144e.pdf). His mother is from Kalgoorlie and is a Gubrun woman[8](https://www.afc.com.au/news/48617/latestcompetitions).
At about 15 he left for Melbourne to join a TAFE program for Indigenous youth overseen by former VFL player Phil Krakouer, and he played TAC football for the Calder Cannons, representing Victoria at the junior level[4](https://crowshistory.afc.com.au/afl-players/eddie-betts) • [9](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-17/eddie-betts-an-afl-player-constantly-watched-by-fans/100382346). He returned to Port Lincoln as a teenager to further his football at the Mallee Park club, where his second cousin Graham Johncock also played junior football, then won successive premierships with the Calder Cannons in 2003 and 2004[10](https://www.afc.com.au/news/142183/latestcompetitions).
AFL clubs balked at picking him up after his final under-18 season, and he was overlooked in the national draft[9](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-17/eddie-betts-an-afl-player-constantly-watched-by-fans/100382346). Carlton recruited him with pick No. 3 in the 2005 NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft[3](https://www.carltonfc.com.au/players/26). He later said that when he signed his first contract as a teenager he could not read it: he could not read or write when drafted, and spent his first three AFL seasons in literacy and numeracy classes[8](https://www.afc.com.au/news/48617/latestcompetitions) • [7](https://starnewsgroup.mediabuilder.com.au/data/archive-digital-editions/murrayvalleystandard/2024-02-08_mvst_843_65c36c119144e.pdf).
## Carlton, 2005–13
Betts debuted in Round 1, 2005, won Carlton's best first-year player award that season, and was a member of the Blues' 2007 pre-season premiership team[3](https://www.carltonfc.com.au/players/26) • [11](https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/763213/eddie-betts-50-games). He was quickly recognized as one of the AFL's best small forwards, averaging 42 goals per season from 2009, and led Carlton's goalkicking in 2010 and 2012[4](https://crowshistory.afc.com.au/afl-players/eddie-betts) • [3](https://www.carltonfc.com.au/players/26). His first Goal of the Year came in 2006[3](https://www.carltonfc.com.au/players/26). He played 184 games for the Blues across nine seasons[2](https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/document/2019/12/05/b06c0343-543e-408d-945e-89ce08d8d294/AFL_Annual_Report_2017-min.pdf?quot=).
## Adelaide, 2014–19
Betts moved to Adelaide at the end of 2013, a decision sealed in part by a chance meeting between his family and Crows captain Nathan van Berlo in Broome[10](https://www.afc.com.au/news/142183/latestcompetitions). Wearing guernsey number 18, he debuted for the Crows in Round 1, 2014, against Geelong, and led the club's goalkicking in each of his first four seasons, averaging 55 goals a year[4](https://crowshistory.afc.com.au/afl-players/eddie-betts).
His peak seasons came in 2015 and 2016: he won the All Australian selection and Adelaide's leading goalkicker award in 2015, 2016, and 2017, and kicked a career-best 75 goals in 2016[4](https://crowshistory.afc.com.au/afl-players/eddie-betts) • [1](https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/E/Eddie_Betts.html). In August 2016, Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes predicted Betts would finish his career as the finest small forward of all time, noting he had kicked 469 career goals and sat third on the Coleman Medal tally that season[12](https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/port-adelaide-great-kane-cornes-says-eddie-betts-will-eventually-be-the-best-small-forward-of-all-time/news-story/3da7e9dce368af7a21b019f32102fc82).
During Round 5 of the 2019 season, Betts marked his 300th AFL appearance with a six-goal haul against [Gold Coast](https://www.edgepedia.org/gold-coast) at [Adelaide Oval](https://www.edgepedia.org/adelaide-oval), and one of those goals went on to win the 2019 Goal of the Year; that same season, he booted the 600th goal of his career[4](https://crowshistory.afc.com.au/afl-players/eddie-betts). Three of his four Goal of the Year winning goals were booted from the right forward pocket in front of the Adelaide Oval scoreboard, a spot now known as the Eddie Betts pocket[4](https://crowshistory.afc.com.au/afl-players/eddie-betts). In 2021 he was selected in Adelaide's "Best 22 of 30 Years"[4](https://crowshistory.afc.com.au/afl-players/eddie-betts).
## Return to Carlton and retirement
At the end of 2019 Betts was traded back to Carlton[4](https://crowshistory.afc.com.au/afl-players/eddie-betts). His 2020 homecoming began strongly, with 10 goals in his first six games and match-winning performances against Geelong and the [Western Bulldogs](https://www.edgepedia.org/western-bulldogs), before his scoring dried up in a compressed fixture; he finished the season with 15 games and 199 career games in Navy Blue[3](https://www.carltonfc.com.au/players/26).
In Round 12, 2021, against West Coast, his 341st game took him past Andrew McLeod into third place for most games by an Indigenous player in VFL/AFL history[6](https://blueseum.org/mwiki/index.php/Eddie_Betts). He retired at the end of the 2021 season after his 350th and final game, against Greater Western Sydney[9](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-17/eddie-betts-an-afl-player-constantly-watched-by-fans/100382346) • [3](https://www.carltonfc.com.au/players/26).
## Playing style
Betts played as a small forward, a crumbing and goal-hunting role suited to his 174 cm frame, and built his reputation on spectacular goals from difficult angles, particularly checkside snaps from the pockets[4](https://crowshistory.afc.com.au/afl-players/eddie-betts) • [9](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-17/eddie-betts-an-afl-player-constantly-watched-by-fans/100382346). A 2016 comparison of small forwards' goal averages placed him fifth among the role's leading exponents at 1.88 goals per game, behind Phil Matera (2.17), Mark LeCras (2.14), Stephen Milne (2.09), and Jeff Farmer (1.94)[13](https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/brisbane-lions-champion-jonathan-brown-ranks-his-top-five-afl-small-forwards-since-turn-of-the-century/news-story/df04bde91eaae69cc90b196c3394fadb). His career totals across 350 games included 2,611 kicks, 4,203 disposals, and 1,050 tackles[1](https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/E/Eddie_Betts.html). He also represented Australia in [International Rules](https://www.edgepedia.org/international-rules-football) football seven times[2](https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/document/2019/12/05/b06c0343-543e-408d-945e-89ce08d8d294/AFL_Annual_Report_2017-min.pdf?quot=).
## Post-playing career and advocacy
Betts joined Geelong's coaching staff in 2022 and worked part-time with the Cats through their premiership season, playing a key part in recruiting and revitalising small forward Tyson Stengle, who earned All Australian selection that year[14](https://www.afl.com.au/news/868257/eddie-betts-departs-geelong-cats-coaching-role-to-focus-on-new-foundation). He left the club at the end of 2022 to focus on his foundation, which supports young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people pursuing sporting careers[14](https://www.afl.com.au/news/868257/eddie-betts-departs-geelong-cats-coaching-role-to-focus-on-new-foundation). The Eddie Betts Foundation runs academy camps with showcase matches, combine testing, mentoring, and education, and holds Third Party Scholarship Provider status under the Department of Social Services ABSTUDY Scholarship Program[15](https://eddiebetts.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The-Eddie-Betts-Foundation-2025-Impact-Report.pdf).
Inspired by [Adam Goodes](https://www.edgepedia.org/adam-goodes), Betts has spoken publicly about the racism he faced during his career and about the need to better celebrate diversity and Indigenous history in Australian sport[7](https://starnewsgroup.mediabuilder.com.au/data/archive-digital-editions/murrayvalleystandard/2024-02-08_mvst_843_65c36c119144e.pdf). He has also published an autobiography[16](https://trove.nla.gov.au/sites/default/files/attachments/2022-09/Recent%20Australian%20Publications%20August%202022%20-%20Dewey.pdf).
## References
1. [Eddie Betts – Stats, AFL Tables](https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/E/Eddie_Betts.html)
2. [AFL Annual Report 2017](https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/document/2019/12/05/b06c0343-543e-408d-945e-89ce08d8d294/AFL_Annual_Report_2017-min.pdf?quot=)
3. [Eddie Betts – Carlton Football Club player profile](https://www.carltonfc.com.au/players/26)
4. [Eddie Betts – Adelaide Football Club history](https://crowshistory.afc.com.au/afl-players/eddie-betts)
5. [Eddie Betts' 10 best goals, and how he kicked them – AFL.com.au](https://www.afl.com.au/news/59689/how-eddie-betts-has-kicked-his-498-career-goals)
6. [Eddie Betts – Blueseum, history of the Carlton Football Club](https://blueseum.org/mwiki/index.php/Eddie_Betts)
7. [Murray Valley Standard, 8 February 2024, cover story](https://starnewsgroup.mediabuilder.com.au/data/archive-digital-editions/murrayvalleystandard/2024-02-08_mvst_843_65c36c119144e.pdf)
8. [Indigenous Round: Betts' story – afc.com.au](https://www.afc.com.au/news/48617/latestcompetitions)
9. [Eddie Betts was one of the most enjoyable AFL players of a generation – ABC News](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-17/eddie-betts-an-afl-player-constantly-watched-by-fans/100382346)
10. [How VB helped seal Eddie deal – afc.com.au](https://www.afc.com.au/news/142183/latestcompetitions)
11. [Eddie Betts – 50 Games – Carlton Football Club](https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/763213/eddie-betts-50-games)
12. [Kane Cornes says Eddie Betts will eventually be the best small forward of all time – Fox Sports](https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/port-adelaide-great-kane-cornes-says-eddie-betts-will-eventually-be-the-best-small-forward-of-all-time/news-story/3da7e9dce368af7a21b019f32102fc82)
13. [Jonathan Brown ranks his top five AFL small forwards since 2000 – Fox Sports](https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/brisbane-lions-champion-jonathan-brown-ranks-his-top-five-afl-small-forwards-since-turn-of-the-century/news-story/df04bde91eaae69cc90b196c3394fadb)
14. [Eddie Betts departs Geelong Cats coaching role to focus on new foundation – AFL.com.au](https://www.afl.com.au/news/868257/eddie-betts-departs-geelong-cats-coaching-role-to-focus-on-new-foundation)
15. [The Eddie Betts Foundation 2025 Impact Report](https://eddiebetts.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The-Eddie-Betts-Foundation-2025-Impact-Report.pdf)
16. [Recent Australian Publications, August 2022 – National Library of Australia (Trove)](https://trove.nla.gov.au/sites/default/files/attachments/2022-09/Recent%20Australian%20Publications%20August%202022%20-%20Dewey.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › Australian rules players and personnel*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license