Eddie Betts has admitted he felt a sense of responsibility watching Tyson Stengle lose his way at Adelaide, but has backed the discarded youngster to make a successful AFL comeback.
Betts was unveiled at Geelong after being brought on as a developmental coach this week, and his connection to Stengle has led to the 22-year-old being linked to the club.
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The 34-year-old admitted he had held conversations with Stengle surrounding a move to Geelong, but said his priority was simply to see Stengle back in the AFL.
Betts and his wife Anna housed Stengle during their time as teammates with the Crows and the recently-retired Indigenous great admitted seeing his protege’s downfall after he moved to Melbourne to join Carlton was tough.
“I felt really bad at first because he lived with me and my wife out there and we were pretty hard on him and kept him on the straight and narrow and when we left all this stuff started happening,” he said.
“I’m not saying that’s because we left, but it was hard seeing that from Melbourne. To see the way he left the Adelaide Crows was hard to watch.
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“He’s grown up. I’ve spoken to him about my issues. I was locked up at a young age when I was playing AFL footy after the famous boat cruise with Carlton and that’s when the penny dropped for myself.
“I had to turn myself around and I told him yesterday about how I played my best footy when I was 26, that’s when I peaked. He’s 22 so the best footy is ahead of him and I think he’s on the straight and narrow now.”
Stengle has also been linked with Essendon, with the Bombers out to bolster their small forward stocks, but Betts admitted he’d like to see the talented youngster join him in Geelong.
“I’ve checked in to see what he thinks and if he would like to come down here and play,” he said.
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“My best interests are in Tyson just getting back and playing AFL footy. If he comes to the Geelong Football Club, that’ll be great, but I’m just happy that he gets that opportunity.
“For Tyson, he’s only 22 and he can still have a ten-year career if he gets back playing AFL footy. No matter where that is, I wish him all the best, but a small part of me hopes he comes down here.”