BOASTING some remarkable form in the 2025 season, East Fremantle tall defender Madison Evans is a over-age prospect to keep an eye on going forward. The intercepting machine stands at 176cm and after averaging 6.5 disposals and 2.7 marks per game in 2024, she has taken her game to another level with the Sharks.

East Fremantle has been without the likes of Taya Chambers (Essendon) and Natasha Entwistle (Sandringham Zebras) this season, while on the weekend were also missing usual interceptor, Maya Louvel-Finn (State Under 18s). That meant Evans was the main source to plant herself in the hole and deny West Perth when going forward.

From her 12 games in 2025, Evans has averaged 14.1 disposals and 3.8 marks per game, a noticeable increase from her top-age campaign. It is her first full season at League level, having come up from Rogers Cup over the last few seasons where she played 33 games between 2022-2024. Now a fully fledged senior player, Evans has been a crucial part of the Sharks defence.

On the weekend she had a ridiculous 25 disposals and 13 marks, surpassing her previous best of 21 disposals in Round 9, while her six marks the week prior to that was her best aerial performance. She also recorded 21 touches back in Round 4. Her effort on the weekend against West Perth in Round 13 was the subject of our Player Focus.

PLAYER FOCUS

2025 WAFLW: Round 13
East Fremantle 6.4 (40) def. West Perth 4.4 (28)

#28 Madison Evans (East Fremantle)

Stats: 25 disposals (21 kicks, 4 handballs, 7CP/17UP) 13 marks, 1 tackle, 2 clearances, 3 inside 50s, 5 rebound 50s, 112 AFL Fantasy points

FIRST HALF

Madison Evans started in defence though did not win her first disposal until the 13th minute of the first term. She previously competed in a marking contest in the middle and brought it to ground without registering a disposal, though that would come with a great intercept and a nice kick to the pocket to set up a shot on goal.

Her intercepting game early was on full display, though with East Fremantle doing the bulk of the attacking, she was largely in the middle of the ground, driving the ball forward. She had a couple of inside 50s as well as two intercept marks in the last few minutes, one of which came on the wing, and another a little further back. Her kicking largely went to the right spots, though as was evident through the game, can still be a little tidier in terms of her precision.

By half-time, Evans had a relatively modest seven disposals and three marks, adding just one additional mark and four disposals to her first quarter tally. She had a dangerous kick in the opening minute to the corridor which turned over but the subsequent shot on goal fortunately missed. That followed by being pinged for holding the ball at the top of the defensive 50.

Despite a couple of unfortunate moments, neither proved costly, and she got back into space where she took a great intercept mark in the middle of the ground and kicked to a half-forward contest with her last disposal coming in the final two minutes with a clean gather and effective handball off. Her other handball from quarter two was a clean take in the back pocket.

SECOND HALF

Evans came alive in the second half where she had a monster last 40 minutes, racking up 18 disposals and clunking 10 marks as well as five rebound 50s. She single-handedly thwarted several goals with her positioning inside the defensive 50, marking anything that came in her way. She was a little shaky at times with her kicking, but she has a nice footy brain that allows her to make good decisions with ball in hand.

There was a lot of rinse and repeat about Evans’ second half, as she continued to drop into the hole and either take an uncontested mark or use early bodywork to nudge an opponent out of it and pull it down cleanly. At one point she marked in congestion as the only one to leap, reading the ball to perfection. She would then either switch play to the open side or move the ball on quickly to half-back where her teammate could run the gauntlet down the ground.

Late in the game she took two marks in the goalsquare – including one right on the goalline – as well as a couple of marks in the back pocket with the final 10 minutes featuring five intercept marks alone. Due to a combination of her own smarts and West Perth seemingly kicking it to the hotspot – or just outright to her by the end – Evans gobbled up anything that came within her vicinity.

It got to the point that once the ball was sent deep inside defensive 50 and a Shark jumped pulled down the mark, everyone knew exactly who it was based on past performance. Her efforts were incredible considering the eventual two-goal margin that could have been very different had she not dropped back and got into the right spots time and time again.

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

Madison Evans clearly has some really developable traits with her reading of the play and aerial strength two strengths in her game. Tall enough to compete one-on-one, Evans was given the keys to peel off her opponents – quite often smaller than her so just reading the ball rather than following a direct opponent was the better choice – and intercept in space.

She became an option for her teammates to kick to out side, but did her best work in the 0-30m range where she pulled down mark after mark. That side of her game – reading the play, positioning herself and safely taking the grab – was outstanding and clearly good enough to be at the next level with that facet.

From the other elements – such as when she has the ball – Evans understands the game well and makes good decisions, it is more about the actual execution itself. Sometimes the ball falls short or misses a target and when her teammates are in space they can mop up and use it well, but it is just refining that pinpoint precision to allow easy uncontested marks or relieve any pressure.

Aside from that final execution, Evans could not have done much more from an intercepting defender standpoint and if she continues to play like that, East Fremantle can certainly pose a problem to the stronger sides in the run home to finals. While playing as that peel-off defender can cause some issues if the opposition are smart enough to go through their direct opponent, bombing it high and long or to predictable areas will allow the likes of Evans to thrive and continue to deny the opposition.