Plenty of time for the crowd: Eddie Betts was swamped - on and off the field - at times during his appearance for Rumbalara, but had time for everyone on the day.
Photo by
Zac Standish
I could not resist the allure of watching Eddie Betts play for Rumbalara on Saturday.
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Like the distant hum of a siren call at sea, the occasion drew me in and I was powerless to resist.
When I dug my sport hat back out of the depths of the cupboard (in reality more like the hook by the door) and headed out to Mercury Dve, I found I was not alone.
The strong crowd — likened by myself and a number of onlookers I spoke to as akin to that of a first final — was positively buzzing with excitement.
There was even a tinge of nervous energy throughout the facility, as everyone waiting with bated breath for the ‘Betts Show’ to begin.
Throughout the match, Betts delivered on the promises his highlights have made over his years on the big screen.
High-flying marks, supreme agility at ground level and an almost-goal of the year from hard-up on the boundary line kept the crowd entertained from siren to siren.
But the way Betts delivered his skills — with a smile on his face and always looking to involve those around him on the field and over the fence — engaged all and sundry as well.
He also had plenty of time before and after the match to pose for photos and generally just be involved with everything Rumbalara and those in attendance asked him to be.
It is that engagement which country football clubs are crying out for in our post-COVID seasons across the region.
Granted, not many of them have been able to call upon ex-AFL stars to wow crowds, but there’s plenty of stalwarts of local leagues who can put on a show worthy of a finals-like atmosphere.
It is generally accepted though — and increasingly so in recent years — that some of the stars that do appear, either for an entire campaign or solo outings, would much rather jump straight back in the car and head down the Hume Hwy to the big smoke before the sun can set on the horizon.
Hefty envelope in tow of course.
Maybe what clubs need to focus on in their recruiting drives is finding the kind of characters who can make a crowd laugh and cheer just as much as gasp in awe.
Because the amount of fun had at Mercury Dve on Saturday is exactly what brings volunteer and player numbers out of the woodwork.
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