Adelaide Crows star Eddie Betts admits morale is down, as team weathers horror year
Adelaide Crows star Eddie Betts has admitted the Crows are struggling through the 2018 season, with morale down as the team weathers a horror year.
After three straight losses and a run of injuries, rumours have been swirling about player discontent and the effects of a controversial pre-season camp on the Gold Coast.
Despite the team slump, Betts has dismissed speculation he is considering an early exit from the club, saying he wants to finish his career at West Lakes.
"It does get you down a little bit, at the club," Betts told radio station FIVEaa on Wednesday.
"We've got to try and change that environment, and keep bringing the joy, keep bringing the fun.
"It's not the end of the world."
The former Carlton star, who moved to South Australia for the 2014 season, last year signed a three-year contract extension.
Betts also said he "got a fair bit" out of the Collective Minds psychological training at the club's pre-season camp, contradicting reports the football player was left traumatised.
In a press conference today, Adelaide midfielder Paul Seedsman said despite ongoing media coverage relating to the controversial psychological training, the program would continue at the club.
"It's going to be part of the program going forward and yeah we've all moved on from that, so it's sort of old news that keeps rearing its ugly head," Seedsman said.
"It's part of our program, we do it and everyone gets their own little bit out of it."
Rumours of Mitch McGovern trade "ridiculous"
Betts' admission the club is struggling comes as management for Crows forward Mitch McGovern promptly scotched reports the 23-year-old West Australian wants to move to a Victorian AFL club.
McGovern, who was picked up at number 43 in the 2014 AFL national draft, missed the Crows' grand final loss last year with a hamstring injury.
His manager Colin Young said that while rumours were abound of players looking to get out of Adelaide, putting McGovern in that group was "ridiculous".
McGovern extended his contract at West Lakes in August, taking the versatile forward's future at the club through to 2020.
Crows legend Mark Ricciuto also dismissed rumours of a trade, saying he had not heard anything about McGovern trying to break his contract last year or this year.
"His manager came out and knocked it on the head straight away and said it was ridiculous," Ricciuto said on radio.
"He's on very good money for what he's performed so far, and good luck to him."
Racism can't be solved with violence
After the three-point loss to Fremantle on Sunday, Betts was the target of a racist comment on one of his social media accounts, where he was referred to as a "monkey".
Betts told FIVEaa radio he was angry when he saw the post and initially wanted to name and shame the person responsible.
He said he was sick of the issue of racism cropping up, and just wanted to play and enjoy football.
"I was so angry, and I wanted to put it out there and say it's not acceptable, but then I thought about it — he's a young teenage boy," he said.
"That doesn't make it right, what he said, but he goes to school, and if I named and shamed him, he might get bullied at school.
"If there's other Indigenous kids at that school that know that he did it, there may be a fight and I said to myself: 'I can't solve this with violence'."
Players have declared their support for Betts, with Seedsman saying the community's attitude needed to change.
"We can just wrap our arms around him, he knows that we all love him and what he brings to us and so we'll just keep supporting him," Seedsman said.
Richmond defender Alex Rance took to Instagram to express his shock that racism was still an issue for the AFL.
"At what point did humanity become second place to such a trivial thing as a game?" he asked.
"It's so frustrating that at this point it's still happening in our society and I don't think that players can have a strong enough stance on this."
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