City of Belmont - Ruth Faulkner Public Library

The boy from Boomerang Crescent, Eddie Betts ; research & interviews, Ali Clarke ; cultural edit, Jack Latimore

eng

autobiography

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no index present

non fiction

The boy from Boomerang Crescent

Eddie Betts ; research & interviews, Ali Clarke ; cultural edit, Jack Latimore

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 normalised. 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 on every page.The very human story behind the plaudits is one that will surprise, move and inspire

adult