THE wife of former Carlton and Adelaide star Eddie Betts is acting as a pseudo manager for free agent Geelong forward Tyson Stengle.
Anna Betts is currently in talks with Geelong general manager of football Andrew Mackie over a new deal for the Cats’ exciting goalkicker.
Stengle split with accredited player agent Garry Winter of W Sports & Media more than 12 months ago, prior to the player signing a one-year extension to stay at GMHBA Stadium. Winter also managed Betts throughout much of his playing career.
Stengle’s management departure, combined with the fact he only signed a one-year contract, has encouraged rival clubs to pick up the phone in recent weeks.
As many as five clubs have sought to gauge Stengle’s interest in moving away from Geelong as an unrestricted free agent.
Anna Betts is not a licensed AFL player agent, but she and husband Eddie have played a significant part in the Stengle success story.
The couple took him into their home in Adelaide before Betts helped settle the forward in Geelong in 2022 while working on the Cats’ coaching staff.
Betts quit that role after the Cats won that year’s premiership and Stengle earned All-Australian selection.
But the Cats remain supremely confident Stengle will remain in Geelong, with club sources believing it was only a matter of time before he put pen to paper on a new contract.
At 25, and with unrestricted free agent status, it will be the most lucrative deal of Stengle’s career.
He has started the season strongly, kicking 12.5 from his first seven games and playing a crucial role in his side’s high-octane offensive transition.
Geelong entered the year with the most free agents in the competition with 11, while star youngster Max Holmes had also been without a contract post-2024.
Holmes last month re-committed to the club after agreeing to a four-year deal.
