CENTRAL District bottom-ager Jasmine Evans had a Round 3 SANFL Women’s match she is unlikely to ever forget. By kicking her first League goal in her debut season, the 2006-born Evans also won her side the match against Norwood on a warm day at the Ponderosa.

It was that performance – though not as high production as others to have featured in our Player Focus series – that earned a closer look because stats can be deceiving, and Evans’ high impact on the match was clear.

Central District Women's, South Australia GirlsForward-Midfielder

Jasmine Evans

Height: 166cm

Weight: -

DOB: 05-02-2006

2023 SANFL Women’s: Round 3
Central District 5.3 (33) def. Norwood 4.7 (31)

STATS: 10 disposals (8 kicks, 2 handballs), 5 marks, 5 inside 50s, 1 goal

FIRST HALF

Evans became a consistent target across at half-forward and started off her day with a good mark leading out from 45m, before producing a lovely kick towards Katelyn Rosenzweig. She would continue to present in the forward half of the ground and hit another nice pass, this time to Dakota Williams inside 50. While her best work would come inside the arc, she worked up the ground well.

One of her last acts of the opening term was a nice mark on the wing to pump it back inside 50, before she set up a goal to Williams at the midway point of the second term. In that instant, Evans produced a well-weighted handball to the advantage of her over-age teammate for a successful snap. Consistently being clean overhead, Evans was able to mark and put it to Rosenzweig’s advantage again late in the second term, but the forward uncharacteristically missed her chance.

SECOND HALF

Evans’ work rate up the ground, particularly from the forward 50 to the defensive side of the centre square continued in the second half, though her third term was the quietest of the three. She was smothered on the kick late in the quarter as she tried to spin around, but produced a sound second effort to lay a tackle and lock the ball up.

Her fourth quarter went up another level, and while she dropped a couple of marks in the first 10 minutes – which was rare for the 17-year-old given she had clunked plenty – and looked a little sore from the contact – she would return a little later and have an impact both defensively and offensively. Evans laid a great tackle inside 50 at the 11-minute mark to drag an opponent down and affect the kick, then took a great mark on the wing to kick deep to a contest 35m out.

THE MOMENT

Down by four points with 90 seconds on the clock, Evans found herself inside 50. Jostling among a pack of players about 25m out from goal, Evans guided her opponent Emily Bartsch under the ball. Though she had got into the right position, the taller and stronger Georgie Jaques had worked her way over ready to tackle. Evans, knowing she would be at a severe disadvantage against Jaques if she did not clunk the mark which was just out of reach, made a decision that would ultimately change the result of the match.

While many players would try and take on the tackler in that scenario, Evans opted to just use one hand to tap into space to her right. Jaques committed to the tackle, Evans sidestepped her and therefore the NSW-ACT draft talent crashed to the ground. The Central District incredibly picked the ball up under pressure one-take, and had a split second among a pick of players to put it through the middle from 15m out.

Charlotte Nenke had worked over to affect the play by tackling her, but Evans had got boot to ball. Perhaps the most underrated piece of the play was the shepherd by Bulldogs debutant Shelby Raven just metres away to ensure Norwood opponent Nicola Burns could not get a hand to it. As fate would have it, Evans’ split second decision to tap the ball into space proved a match-winning one and she slotted the goal to help her side to a four-point lead, and eventual win with a minute on the clock by the next stoppage.

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

Jasmine Evans is an exciting talent who Central District captain Shelby Smith has big wraps on. After not playing a League trial game, the 2006-born Evans found herself in the side for Round 1, where she would tally 12 disposals, four marks, three tackles and two inside 50s. Though quiet in the loss against Sturt with just the four touches, Evans retained her place for the clash against Norwood, and the decision by coach Ben Hunt and the selection committee paid dividends, with the young star stepping up in the big moment.