Bradley Hill-Ross Lyon scenario<\/a> was handled was a \u201cfantastic\u201d sign of improvement.<\/p>\n\u201cHow Bradley spoke to Ross about: \u2018We don\u2019t like to be spoken to like this. Us brothers, we\u2019re family, this is my safety. Yes, St Kilda Football Club is our family and our team and we\u2019ll do everything for it. But the boys are a family within a family\u2019,\u201d Betts said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s better, but you don\u2019t know what you don\u2019t know. <\/p>\n
\u201cRoss Lyon didn\u2019t know he was affecting the boys when he said that. And Ross Lyon has a great relationships with a lot of Aboriginal players and a lot of Aboriginal people within communities.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Bradley to be brave enough and step up and have that conversation, and for Ross to take responsibility and listen and learn and say: \u2018OK, I apologise, I didn\u2019t know it was affecting you. I will grow from this\u2019. That was fantastic. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s how it needs to be handled.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ross Lyon and Bradley Hill (Photo by Robert Cianflone\/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
Though Betts did question if younger Indigenous players would be \u201cbrave enough\u201d to stand up to a senior coach the way Hill did.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo they have someone, like Bradley Hill, in their side that would stand up for them and go in to bat?,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was always that older figure that would go and use my position and stand up and back in all the boys.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018TOUGH\u2019 REALITY BEHIND DECLINING NUMBERS<\/p>\n
It comes during a significant decline of First Nations players on AFL club lists.<\/p>\n
A record total of 87 Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander players were on AFL club lists in 2020, but that number has fallen to 62 this year. <\/p>\n
The league has put measures in place to try and address it including a First Nations Impact Fund and formed a subcommittee.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also talk of bringing in an extra rookie list spot for each club specially for Indigenous players, as well as greater focus on developing First Nations coaches.<\/p>\n
‘Are we clear?!’ – Dimma goes OFF | 01:37<\/p>\n
Betts says it\u2019s \u201ctough\u201d for young Indigenous kids in communities that haven\u2019t had the same pathway opportunities as others.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe AFL world is tough. They\u2019re coming from remote communities to big cities like Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide, it\u2019s a completely different world. The AFL world is another level,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese kids need to be in the same pathways as non-Indigenous kids, to succeed and to be seen. Given that opportunity to be in the Coates League, to be playing at the highest level.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have so much talent but the hard work needs to come with that. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard because the other kids have been in the system for so long, for three or four years. Running 2km time trials, doing the beep test, doing everything they do at the draft camp. Preparing themselves like men to be drafted.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd look at two years ago \u2014 over 70 per cent of kids got drafted from private schools. What hope do these young Indigenous kids from community have of being drafted? They have no hope.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re dong in the foundation at the moment and that\u2019s why it exists. Trying to give these young Indigenous kids the opportunity at the age of 15. Telling them what it takes to get there, this is what you need to do, these are the habits you have to have.\u201d<\/p>\n
CHALLENGES WITH A 20TH CLUB IN DARWIN<\/p>\n
With Tasmania set to join the competition as the 19th club in 2028, talk around a 20th side is the natural next step.<\/p>\n
Darwin, where Gold Coast currently plays home games, has been touted as a potential option, given the city\u2019s rich football ties. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s produced greats such as Andrew McLeod, Michael Long and Cyril Rioli, as well as current stars Daniel Rioli and Zac Bailey.<\/p>\n
Cats get Grand Final payback | 03:21<\/p>\n
While Betts thinks Darwin can be the host of a 20th AFL club, he said the Northern Territory is \u201cunder-resourced\u201d and \u201cneeds more funding\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve spent two years up in Darwin playing and my kids spent time there. Looking at the juniors coming through, there\u2019s so much talent up there,\u201d Betts sad. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut the AFL has to invest in the communities up there and the local footy, like what they do with Tasmania. The AFL has spent so much money in Tassie, investing in the pathways and the kids coming through.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what they need to do with the NT, as well. Invest up there. <\/p>\n
\u201cBecause there\u2019s more Cyril Riolis up there, there\u2019s more Daniel Riolis. We want more Buddy Franklins. They put bums in seats!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Bobby Hill needed a shoulder to lean on, Eddie Betts was there. It\u2019s what the Indigenous champion…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":672827,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[638,109787,187710,64,63,689,55,639,83947,684,188554,651,324638,49774,84663,147930,25297,150051,10133,10143,13115,14385,14390,5249,71071,35345,324637,324636,6281,10124,2105,2485,324634,64029,324635,33330,647,324639,7198,187711,324640,8867,677,324632,701,84368,324633,3247,114671,22401,3236,85,26889,36865,165666,53149,82592,660,108450],"class_list":["post-672826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-afl","tag-andrew-mcleod","tag-arch-rival","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-beautiful-goal","tag-ben-cotton","tag-bradley-hill","tag-brisbane","tag-cam-ellis-yolmen","tag-charlie-cameron","tag-charlie-gardiner","tag-chris-yarran","tag-coaching-role","tag-coates-league","tag-collingwood-magpies","tag-craig-mcrae","tag-cyril-rioli","tag-damien-hardwick","tag-daniel-rioli","tag-darwin","tag-development-coach","tag-eddie-betts","tag-eddie-betts-foundation","tag-first-nations-impact-fund","tag-footy-boss","tag-fremantle-dockers","tag-getty-images-inc","tag-gold-coast","tag-grand-final-paybackafl","tag-home-games","tag-jeff-garlett","tag-josh-chadwick","tag-melbourne","tag-michael-long","tag-michael-willson","tag-neville-jetta","tag-non-for-profit-organisation","tag-northern-territory","tag-oceania","tag-pathway-opportunities","tag-queensland","tag-remote-communities","tag-rich-football-ties","tag-robert-cianflone","tag-rookie-list","tag-senior-coach","tag-senior-level","tag-sports","tag-st-kilda-saints","tag-suns-coach","tag-time-trials","tag-training-session","tag-tyson-stengle","tag-victoria","tag-young-kids"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/672826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=672826"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/672826\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/672827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=672826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=672826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=672826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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