The Boy from Boomerang Crescent by Eddie Betts
$7.99
The Boy from Boomerang Crescent
- By: Eddie Betts
- Narrated by: Luke Carroll
- Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Sports
Publisher’s Summary
It’s a long, hard road from the Nullarbor to the MCG.
How does a self-described “skinny Aboriginal kid” overcome a legacy of family tragedy to become an AFL legend? One thing’s for sure: It’s not easy. But then, there’s always been something special about Eddie Betts.
Betts grew up in Port Lincoln and Kalgoorlie, in environments where the destructive legacies of colonialism—racism, police targeting of Aboriginal people, drug and alcohol misuse, family violence—were sadly normalized. His childhood was defined by family closeness as well as family strife, plus a wonderful freedom that he and his cousins exploited to the full—for better and for worse.
When he made the decision to take his talents across the Nullarbor to Melbourne to chase his footballing dreams—homesickness be damned—everything changed. Over the ensuing years, Betts became a true giant of the sport: 350-plus games, 600-plus goals, multiple All-Australian nods and Goal of the Year awards, and a league-wide popularity rarely seen in the hyper-tribal AFL
Along the way, he battled his demons before his turbulent youth settled into responsible maturity. Today, the man the Melbourne tabloids once dubbed “bad boy Betts” is a dedicated husband and father, a respected community leader and an increasingly outspoken social activist.
Sometimes funny, sometimes tragic and always honest—often laceratingly so—The Boy from Boomerang Crescent is the inspirational life story of a champion, in his own words. Whether he’s narrating one of his trademark gravity-defying goals from the pocket, the discrimination he’s faced as an Aboriginal person or the birth of his first child, Betts’s voice—intelligent, soulful, unpretentious—rings through in every minute.
The very human story behind the plaudits is one that will surprise, move and inspire.
Cover image © Kristina Wild
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2021 Eddie Betts (P)2021 Simon & Schuster Australia
Christopher B. Gould
An important story
This book made me laugh, and cry. As a Carlton member I have always had an admiration of Eddie and I appreciate him sharing his story with us all.
Parts of his book have come as news to everyone and I saddened to realise that it has taken so long for him to feel safe, to reveal those truths to the public.
This book illustrates just how far white/colonial Australia still has to go, to bridge the gap between them and Indigenous Australians.
I truly envy the connection and community that indigenous people have; they seem to understand what’s important in life.
Thank you for continuing to educate us Eddie, even when that means using up your time and emotional energy. Thank you for sharing your life with us.
Anonymous User
Amazing Human – great listen
Eddie Betts is an Australian treasure – honest , determined and down to earth . All the best to him for whatever the future hold – only the best deserved