Artie Beetson

Arthur Beetson

Beetson in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Arthur Henry Beetson
Nickname	Big Artie
Born	(1945-01-21)21 January 1945 Roma, Queensland, Australia
Died	1 December 2011(2011-12-01) (aged 66) Paradise Point, Queensland, Australia
Playing information
Height	188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	16 st 8 lb (105 kg)
Position	Prop, Second-row
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1964–65 Redcliffe 1966–70 Balmain Tigers 74 6 0 1 20 1968 Hull K. R. 12 1 0 3 1971–78 Easts (NSWRL) 131 17 0 0 51 1979–80 Parramatta Eels 16 1 0 0 3 1981 Redcliffe Total 233 25 0 1 77 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1966–77 New South Wales 18 3 0 0 9 1980–81 Queensland 3 0 0 0 0 1966–77 Australia 29 1 0 0 3
Coaching information
Club Years Team Gms W D L W% 1977–78 Eastern Suburbs 45 29 1 17 64 1981–82 Redcliffe 1985–88 Eastern Suburbs 97 42 9 48 43 1992–93 Cronulla Sharks 44 17 0 27 39 1994 Eastern Suburbs 6 2 0 4 33 Total 192 90 10 96 47 Representative Years Team Gms W D L W% 1981–84 Queensland 10 7 0 3 70 1983 Australia 1 0 0 1 0 1989–90 Queensland 6 4 0 2 67
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Arthur Henry "Artie" Beetson OAM (21 January 1945 – 1 December 2011) was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He represented Australia and Queensland from 1964 to 1981. His main position was at prop. Beetson became the first Indigenous Australian to captain his country in any sport and is frequently cited as the best post-war forward in Australian rugby league history. He also had an extensive coaching career, spanning the 1970s to the 1990s, coaching Australia, Queensland, Eastern Suburbs, Redcliffe Dolphins and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. On 1 December 2011, Beetson died after a heart attack, aged 66.

Beetson's mother was a member of the Stolen Generation. He was born in Roma, Queensland on 21 January 1945.

Beetson's big frame, pure speed and brilliant ball skills won countless games for all his teams. His off-loading and attacking workrate broke the mould for front rowers and changed the way they played the game.

Beetson's rugby league career began with Redcliffe in the Brisbane Rugby League competition between 1964 and 1965. After winning the club's player of the year award in 1965 as well as the Brisbane Rugby League premiership with them, he moved to Sydney to play in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership with the Balmain club. The 1966 NSWRFL season was his first and he gained selection for the New South Wales team and played in that season's grand final against St. George at second-row forward. Beetson was also selected to make his representative début for Australia against England and scored two tries. He represented Australia again at the 1968 Rugby League World Cup, playing at prop forward in the win against France in the tournament final. Beetson then played with Balmain, with a spell in England with Hull Kingston Rovers in 1968.