OPINION in the football world is divided on Richmond young gun Sydney Stack's celebration with Adelaide's Eddie Betts after yet another brilliant goal from the maestro.
Late in Thursday night's clash, with the result beyond doubt, Betts put a miraculous snap through and after celebrating with teammates, grinned at the Tiger and wagged a finger in a good-natured manner before the pair shared a handshake and a brief hug.
Game recognise game.
— AFL (@AFL) June 13, 2019
Sydney Stack shows his appreciation for Eddie's brilliance! #AFLCrowsTigers pic.twitter.com/nVWOdOdWho
While many loved seeing that interaction, some are not sure it sent the right message as Richmond fell to 7-6 and a paltry percentage of 92 with the 33-point defeat.
Betts recounted the banter-filled interaction when speaking to Melbourne radio station 3AW after the Crows' 33-point win.
I said 'Mate, I'm going to get one. Trust me, I'm going to get one' - Eddie Betts on the banter with Sydney Stack on Thursday night
"We were going at it the whole game. Sydney Stack's a great young player. He's aggressive and he doesn't give you a chance, and he keeps pushing you, but all game he kept saying 'Brother, you can't get a special goal tonight. No special goals tonight'," Betts said.
"I actually had the ball in that pocket early in that quarter and I tried for a left-foot snap and Sydney smothered it, and he came back up to me and said 'Told you, no special goals for you brother'. I said 'Mate, I'm going to get one. Trust me, I'm going to get one'.
"I ended up getting that one, and he put his head down, looked at me and smiled, came over and I said 'Told you brother'."
Former Melbourne great Garry Lyon is one who didn't like Stack's actions, as he said on SEN.
"I'm not condemning Sydney Stack, he's a young kid. Philosophically, I don't like that and I don't apologise for that," Lyon said.
"It's a great debate. It's modern-day footy versus old-school thoughts."
Carlton interim coach David Teague didn't have a problem with it.
"It's pretty hard to not want to give Eddie Betts a high-five," Teague said.
"Everyone is an individual. One person will do something and people will love it or they won't.
"I encourage our players to be themselves. If it's going to allow them to perform at their best, that's their job. Whatever allows them to perform at their best, that’s what I would expect from them."
THE NEGATIVE
People won't like this but I didn't like Stack high fiving and hugging Eddie after the goal. If it was a player from my team I'd be furious. #AFL #AFLCrowsTigers
— Matty (@MatanSlonim1997) June 13, 2019
So when Heppell smiles after a loss everyone says that’s horrendous. But when a player smiles and high fives his opponent with over 4 mins to go that’s ok? Yeah cool man
— Mathew Crooks (@RadPantsCrooks) June 13, 2019
Cringe
— HagDaddy (@BoringHaddin) June 13, 2019
THE POSITIVE
I loved that Eddie Betts/Sydney Stack interaction on the field. Elite sportsmanship
— Rachel Maclean (@WhofanRachel) June 13, 2019
Game was played in the best spirit. No garbage niggle, that awesome exchange between Betts and Stack, just a really fair, terrific game.
— The Camel (@camelboy33) June 13, 2019
FWIW I think Sydney Stack is the single best thing to happen to footy this season and if you criticise him for congratulating an opponent, it actually says more about you than it does about him. #AFLCrowsTigers
— Paul Nolan (@pwnolan) June 13, 2019
Front row seats to the Eddie show, doesn’t get much better than that pic.twitter.com/C2WOWlrWah
— Soph ✨ (@Sophie_Dayman) June 13, 2019
