Eddie Betts says vile racist abuse aimed at his children ‘hits harder’ than anything he experienced in his AFL career – as he vows to continue calling out racism in Australia

AFL great Eddie Betts has said the racist abuse aimed at his children as they played in the backyard of his home will stay with them for the rest of their lives. 

Betts told a panel on the Fox Footy channel on Saturday that the racial abuse his children experienced was worse than anything he had copped during his AFL career, adding his children were now too scared to play in the backyard.

The father-of-two previously shared CCTV footage of racial slurs being shouted from a white car passing his property while his kids played basketball at his Glen Iris home in Melbourne’s southeast at around 8.40pm on Thursday. 

‘It was a tough start to the weekend, crappy start with what happened at my house,’ a visibly emotional Betts told the panel. 

‘To see that someone actually got out of their car at 8.40 at night, to drive to my house and yell abuse at my kids over the fence – I think this one hits a lot harder than all the racial abuse that I’ve had over my years.

‘And that’s because it’s directed at my kids with such hatred. 

‘The kids are fine now. They were shaken up a bit. They’re too scared to go out and play basketball at night. It was really, really tough and hard to see.’

Betts said he believed it was right decision to share the ugly incident. 

‘I’m glad that I brought awareness to this because if I didn’t you wouldn’t have known what happened,’ he said.

‘This continues to happen to Aboriginal people all over the country.’

Betts said he would continue to call out racism and urged Australians to keep having ‘uncomfortable conversations’ about racism.

‘We’ve just got to keep calling it out. It is exhausting and I’ve called this out many, many times,’ he continued. 

‘I’ll still stand here in front of everybody and put my face to it and stand out and call it out, educate and educate because we need to stamp out racism here in Australia all together because it does hurt.’

Betts, who played 350 games with Carlton and Adelaide, said he had a message to the person who had yelled the foul abuse. 

‘I want the people who have done this and drove past my house to yell abuse at my kids to know that it’s hurtful,’ he said. 

‘This will stick with them for the rest of their lives and the rest of my life.

‘The only place I would ever want my kids to feel safe is at home, and they can’t even feel safe at home.’

Betts said despite the tough week he wanted to thank the footy community ‘for their support and showing their love’. 

‘We’ve got your messages and it means so much to hear your support,’ he said.

‘It helps us so much. As a family, we’ll continue to stick together and I’ll continue to stand here before everybody and continue to educate. That’s the only way we’re going to move forward.

‘To everyone at home, if you’re watching this – please have those uncomfortable conversations with your kids, your family, your friends — because that’s the only way we’re going to move forward in this nation.’

Victoria Police confirmed on Friday night they were investigating the matter.

‘It’s alleged a vehicle drove past the property just after 8.30pm and yelled from the windows before driving away,’ police said in a statement.

‘The matter is currently being investigated.’

The AFL, its clubs and players and even Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan have condemned the disgraceful incident and pledged their support to the Betts family.