EXUDING confidence akin to his elder brother, Mattaes, Jevan Phillipou is also gunning for the big leagues. The Woodville-West Torrens prospect has earned call-ups to South Australia’s Under 16 and 18 squads over the years, continually proving his worth and high upside as a damaging midfielder-forward.

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Phillipou overcame an ankle injury to play in the Eagles’ Under 18 premiership last year and made a single appearance for the state side. In 2025, he is looking to add consistency to his high impact-per-possession style, with a SANFL League debut also among his lofty goals.

We spoke to Phillipou during Sunday’s SANFL Under 18s preseason testing event.

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PRESEASON Q&A

Q: Jevan, what are some of your earliest footballing memories?

JP: “I actually started playing really young when Mattaes was in Under 8s, so I started playing when I was about five-years-old competitively. I started at Henley, went over to PHOS and ended at PHOS, and then have been through the Eagles since the Under 13 program.”

Q: Did you play any other sports like Mattaes?

JP: “I did the same thing. I played Division 1 basketball all the way through and I did athletics as well at the national level. So quite a few sports growing up.”

Q: What’s the relationship like with your brother and how much of a help has he been to you?

JP: “He’s been huge for me, really. I was pretty upset when I found out he had to leave and he wasn’t coming back any time soon. We’ve stayed really close, stayed really connected and I feel like he’s been my best friend for my whole life. He’s been huge just as a person I can talk to, a person I can joke around with, a person I can turn to when I need those hard hitting conversations to get me back on track.”

Q: How has the experience of being in the State Academy been?

JP: “It’s been awesome. I got added midway through the Under 16s but didn’t play a game. The same thing happened last year where I had some good form early and ‘Bangers’ (Tony Bamford) recognised that and added me to the squad. I was lucky enough to get an opportunity at the highest level we can play at so I was really happy about it and I feel like I’ve learnt a lot from that experience.”

Q: How was it playing in the SANFL Under 18s premiership last year?

JP: “It was awesome. I came off a pretty serious ankle injury late in the minor rounds and worked pretty hard to get back. I got back for all the finals and had a few good performances so it was good.”

Q: Can you describe yourself as a player?

JP: “A very attacking, very damaging player per possession. I have a lot of impact wherever I am on the field. I love kicking goals, I love winning the hard ball in the middle, I love going up for big marks. I feel like I’ve got a lot of strengths in my game and I’m very versatile as well.”

Q: Do you have any weaknesses or things you’re still looking to improve on?

JP: “I wouldn’t say I’ve got a weakness, but I tend to lack on the defensive end, changing direction quickly and focusing on that defensive side. So I’d say just switching on a bit more, knowing when to chase, knowing when to tackle and putting my body in to tackle – not just wanting to get the ball.”

Q: Do you watch a lot of footy, and who do you support?

JP: “I do. I just go I just go for Mattaes really, I hope he does well. I like the Saints, used to go for the Swans because I really like ‘Buddy’ (Lance) Franklin and probably prefer Port to the Crows in an Adelaide sense. But I watch heaps of footy, I just love the game.”

Q: Are there any players you try to mould your game on?

JP: “Definitely. I really feel like my game is very similar to Isaac Heeney and Christian Petracca. I feel like I’ve got both of their attacking and goalkicking sense, but they both take some good marks, win the ball in close, and I feel like I do a lot of that as well.”

Q: What kind of goals have you set for the year?

JP: “My main goal is just to be consistent each week and have a good output. Some bigger goals, I’d love to play for SA Under 18s and play well on the national stage. I’d love to play some League footy as well, get into the senior team and hopefully do some damage in there.”

Q: Are there any teammates you think we should look out for in 2025?

JP: “I reckon Mitchell Marsh is in for a big year, from West Adelaide. He’s put in a lot of hard yards in the preseason. I tried to stay with him as much as I could in the running, he’s been really good pushing me in trainings so I feel like he’s in for a big year. Got a lot of potential.”