Eddie Betts has spoken for the first time about the incident in which a driver shouted racial slurs at his children outside his home, becoming emotional about an act he called “hate”.
The Crows and Blues legend had posted the footage on Instagram, showing a car driving slowly down the street outside the house before someone in the car shouted racial slurs four times as they drove by.
Betts’ children were playing basketball in the yard when the abuse occurred.
Speaking on Fox Footy, Betts described the incident as a “rough start to the (Easter) weekend”.
“To see someone actually get out of their car at 8:40 at night to drive up to my house and yell insults at my kids over the fence,” Betts said.
“I think this affects much more than all the racial abuse I have suffered throughout my years (in football) and that is because it is directed towards my children with so much hatred.”
Betts, a fan favorite who played 350 games in total for Carlton and Adelaide over a 16-year career, has been the target of racism in the past, including having a banana thrown at him by the crowd during a match in 2016.
He said his children were “fine” now, although they were shaken by the incident and were “too scared to go out and play basketball that night.”
“It was really very hard and difficult to watch. I’m glad I raised awareness about this because if I didn’t you wouldn’t know what happened, and this continues to happen to Aboriginal people across the country and to us.” I just have to keep saying it,” Betts said.
“It’s exhausting and I’ve mentioned it many, many times and I will still be here in front of everyone and I will put my face to work and I will highlight it, I will call it out, I will educate and I will continue to educate (people) because we need to completely eradicate racism in Australia, because hurts.
“And I just want you to know that the people who have done this and have stopped by my house to yell insults at my children, it is painful and this will stay with them for the rest of their lives… for my life.
“The only place I would like my children to be safe is at home and they can’t even feel safe at home.”
He thanked the football community and all of Australia for their support and love following the incident.
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