AFL legends Eddie Betts and Damien Hardwick on Geelong star Tyson Stengle’s rise from drug bust hell

AFL greats have highlighted Cats star Tyson Stengle’s meteoric rise from falling over two drug busts to an All Australian, as he played a huge role in helping Geelong reach this year’s grand final.

The former Crow and Tiger was expunged by Adelaide in 2021 after a series of serious off-field incidents in a matter of months, including drink-driving and being caught twice with an illegal substance.

Adelaide essentially had no choice but to release the extraordinarily talented forward, but on the recommendation of assistant coach Eddie Betts, Geelong eagerly added him to their already powerful forward in the preseason.

As one of Stengle’s closest friends — and an apparent father figure to the native attacker — Betts knew his distant relative had the “potential to become a great man.”

Tyson Stengle (right, pictured with Cats teammate Tom Hawkins) is the first delisted free agent to be announced as All Australian next year.

Betts has now revealed his devastated reaction to discovering that Stengle had been caught with an illegal substance.

“It was difficult when those incidents started happening,” Betts told the… Herald Sun about the series of events leading up to Stengle’s resignation from the Crows.

“I looked at my phone one day and there was a story about an Adelaide player who had been ticketed for drugs.

“It didn’t say who it was and as I waited for it to load I thought, ‘Please don’t be a Tyson, please don’t be a Tyson.’ And then it emerged as Tyson Stengle. F***,” Betts said of the 2020 incident.

Good friends Tyson Stengle (left) and Eddie Betts celebrate a goal for the Crows in 2019

Stengle and teammate Brad Crouch were caught by police with an illegal substance in the Adelaide CBD during a night out in September 2020.

Three months later, he was seen in front of a sign with a reportedly illegal substance after being arrested for several driver’s licenses in April of that year.

The precocious attacker was apprehended by police for driving an unregistered car, and was then found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.125 – but it seems those days are finally behind him.

Former Crows teammates Hugh Greenwood (far left) and Tyson Stengle (far right) are so close to Eddie Betts (center), they showed up to support his son Lewie in his big basketball final on September 10

As the 23-year-old prepares to play in the AFL grand final on Saturday, Betts said it was a phenomenal comeback.

He made history as the first canceled free agent to be All Australian. He can have consecutive premierships from SANFL to AFL… It’s just a great story,” said the 350-game native legend.

In his recently released autobiography, “The Boy from Boomerang Crescent,” Betts explains that Stengle has moved in with him, his wife Anna and their five children.

“He is a funny and caring fulla and my kids absolutely loved him,” he wrote.

“At times Tyson can be a shy, misunderstood kid, but he has overcome serious setbacks to be where he is today. He’s a leader, and both footy-smart and street-smart.’

Richmond’s coach, Damien Hardwick, recalls the time when a “beloved” Stengle called him drunk at 2am after a few too many beers.

Those setbacks, aside from the troubles off the field, refer to his upbringing. Because one parent was absent and another died young, Stengle and his siblings were often in care early in life.

But Stengle’s funny side was fully manifested in his early years with the Tigers, with coach Damien Hardwick recalling the time when the man affectionately known as ‘Wombat’ called him when he was a little worse for wear and tear.

“We were playing against the Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on Sunday and he called my phone at 2am [after playing VFL] and I didn’t answer it. Fair to say he had a few beers, “Wombo,” Hardwick told the Herald Sun.

“We called him on Facetime before the game and he answered and the boys laughed a lot. He is a great boy, we wish him all the best and hopefully he will walk away as the premiership winner.”

Tyson Stengle has turned his career around since a series of off-field indiscretions ruined his time with the Crows

Stengle celebrates a goal for the Cats in the team’s win over the Demons in week one of this season’s final series

Hardwick said the attacker is still “loved by the club”, where he won the 2017 VFL premiership as an 18-year-old.

Next Sunday, he may just be an AFL premier player – footy’s holy grail.

Stengle’s talent has never been in question in his 40-game career – and now that his life has been settled off the pitch, he’s clearly thriving at Geelong.

His remarkable 2022 season saw 49 goals from 24 games – an incredible return from a pocket at a forward already made up of Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron.

The heartwarming redemption story turns into a fairy tale if Stengle can play his part and elevate the AFL Premiership Cup with a win over Sydney at 2.30pm on Saturday at the MCG.