One of the AFL's most popular players, Eddie Betts, will play on in 2021 for Carlton in what will be his 17th year in the AFL.
Carlton have agreed to give a new contract for Betts, 33, who had left Adelaide after 2019 and came back to his first AFL club to finish his career.
There had been some doubt about whether Betts would continue with Carlton, with his long-serving team mates and fellow veterans Matthew Kreuzer and
Kade Simpson retiring this year, as the Blues continue their transition to a younger list profile.
Betts was brought back to the Blues as much for his off-field influence - such as mentoring youngsters and Indigenous players at the club - as for what he could do on field, having left the Blues as a free agent at the end of 2013 to launch a highly successful stint with the Crows, where his stature in the game reached new heights, due to his goalkicking feats and exuberant, open personality.
Betts, who has a close relationship with Carlton senior coach David Teague from the their days in Adelaide together (where Teague was forwards coach), was possibly helped by the decision of Sydney's star small forward Tom Papley to stick with the Swans. Papley unsuccessfully sought a trade to the Blues in the post-season of 2019.
The retention of Betts was foreshadowed by the fact that Carlton had not announced his retirement; it was unlikely that the Blues would let Betts' career end without some form of tribute or recognition had they decided not to offer him a spot.
Betts has played 14 of 16 games this season, booting 13 goals in a lower-scoring season. While most of his numbers are down on his career averages, Teague clearly wanted to retain his experience in a team that was losing Simpson and Kreuzer.
All told, Betts has played 330 games for 613 goals at Carlton and Adelaide, leading Carlton's goalkicking in 2010 and 2012 and making All-Australian with the Crows in 2015, 2016 and 2017, when Adelaide made the grand final.
One unique measure of Betts' career is that he has won the AFL's goal of the year four times.
Unfortunately, Betts - one of the game's most admired Indigenous players - also has been subjected to repeated racist attacks, on the field, in daily life and in social media. He told Fox Footy earlier this year that he was "sick and tired'' of the repeated racist comments but felt it was his duty to call out racist behaviour to achieve change. "The way to hurt these guys is to keep playing great footy and keep smiling and that's what I love doing,'' he said.
Betts was one of the players disappointed by Adelaide's notorious post-season camp on the Gold Coast after the grand final and ultimately sought a trade back to the Blues, after Gold Coast also showed interest in him during 2019.
Carlton announced this week that Saturday's game against the Brisbane Lions would be Simpson's 342nd and final game for the club.
