Sarah Betts to follow in her Grandfathers Footsteps

Sarah Betts is the youngest of three daughters of Michele Murray and Philip Betts. Michele is the youngest daughter of the late Val and Reg Murray of Hamilton in Western Victoria.

First playing football in grade six at Malvern Primary School, Betts followed her sporting passions of basketball and rowing, until she found her way back to football in 2019, Betts became a premiership player in 2022 with St Kevin’s under the guise of master coach Tom Purcell.

To date in 2023, Betts has played 11 games and been named amongst the best on 8 occasions. Her relentless attitude has seen her selected as part of the Senior Women’s Big V side, named in the ruck under coach Paul Groves.

Incredibly, for Betts, this is not the first time a member of her family will be pulling on the Big V.

Betts’ grandfather Reg “Bomber” Murray, at the same age of 25 was selected to represent Victoria for the VAFA Big V team 70 years ago in 1953 and then again in 1954 at the ANFC carnival in Hobart and South Australia respectively.

Keeping with the family ties, both Betts, and Bomber Murray played in the ruck. 

Between 1947 – 1953, ‘Bomber’ played 95 games for Port Melbourne and is a member of the Borough’s team of the century, announced in 2003. 

At the conclusion of the 1953 season, he was offered a generous contract to move to Hamilton in Western Victoria to play and be the senior coach for Hamilton Imperials Football Club. Representing the club between 1954 -1960, he was named in the team of the Century of the Imperials in 2008.

In just her second season of Premier Women’s Football, Betts is excelling in the ruck. Purcell can’t speak highly enough of her, a prodigy of “Bomber” Murray. Betts may just be the answer the Big V need on Saturday against the Perth Football League.