Rupert James Betheras was born on 23 November 1975 and is a former Australian rules footballer and a contemporary artist, whose practice has largely been painting-based and involved installation and sculpture.
17 Facts About Rupert Betheras
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Rupert Betheras played football for De La Salle in the VAFA before being given the opportunity to play with East Perth for the 1996 season whilst on a surfing holiday in Margaret River in Western Australia.
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Rupert Betheras began the season fortunate to make the squad, but ended it as captain and the Best and Fairest winner in the reserves, prompting the club to use the 75th selection of the 1998 National Draft on the ex-surfer.
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Rupert Betheras made an immediate impact in his first season, making his debut against the West Coast Eagles in the second last game played at Victoria Park in round three.
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Rupert Betheras impressed initially, before he was demoted back to the reserves.
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Rupert Betheras' rise earned him plaudits from all, including the Harry Collier Trophy as best first year player, the Wrecker Award as player with most desire, as well as finishing 9th for the Copeland Trophy.
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Rupert Betheras backed up his debut efforts the following year in playing all 22 matches and was elevated with Licuria to a deputy vice captain of the team.
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Rupert Betheras was played by new coach Mick Malthouse through the midfield and out of halfback, often wracking up large possession numbers.
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Rupert Betheras showcased his capacity as a small forward with two goals in the Anzac Day loss to Essendon in round five, whilst starring across halfback in a big win over the Eagles in round 12, having a huge impact when coming off the bench.
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Rupert Betheras set the Pies alight with two quickfire goals in the first Qualifying Final against Port Adelaide, before rocking the MCG to its foundations with a magnificent goal from the boundary line the two weeks later against Adelaide in the Preliminary Final.
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However, Rupert Betheras went on to play in Collingwood's Affiliate team Williamstown in the VFL in a winning Grand Final along with a young Dane Swan and future Collingwood Captain Nick Maxwell.
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Rupert Betheras was delisted at the end of the season.
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Rupert Betheras played for South Cairns in the Cairns league and in 2007, he played for Rumbalara on the Murray River.
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Rupert Betheras held his first solo exhibition, After Collingwood, at Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne in 2008, the year after retiring from AFL; this was followed by several more including an Alcaston-curated survey exhibition at Deakin University Art Gallery, Melbourne.
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Rupert Betheras has held solo exhibitions in other public galleries including Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, and the Northern Centre for Contemporary Art, Darwin, and in other commercial galleries including Galerie Luc Berthier, Paris, France.
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Rupert Betheras continues to experiment as a painter, pushing his practice in terms of his materials and in his approach to abstraction and figuration.
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The 'higher states of consciousness and physical application needed to perform at the highest levels of sport' are, Rupert Betheras asserts, manifest in his artistic process as a painter.