AS FAR as unique footballing journeys go, few players will have had quite the back story that Madison Evans can attest to growing up. Now an incredibly talented tall defender with plenty of upside, the East Fremantle WAFLW best and fairest runner-up has come a long way since not even considering the code as a child.

Her father is a former South African international soccer player, with both her parents born in the country before relocating to the United Kingdom where Evans and her brothers were born. When the now Aussie rules football draft hopeful was three, the family moved to Australia. But even then, it was not a straight forward transition into Auskick like so many others.

“I actually started out playing netball first, and then when I was about 14, a few girls on my netball team asked me to come play for their footy team because they didn’t have enough players,” Evans said of her football beginnings. “I started playing netball and footy, I joined them and just loved it. Eventually started playing for East Freo in the Rogers Cup and have just gone on from there.”

Unsurprisingly, Evans has dreams of playing professionally and following in the footsteps of her father. Always supportive of his daughter, Evans said he has been the biggest influence on her career, and is constantly providing feedback to help her improve.

“He always tells me how fun it (playing professionally) was and he believes I can do it,” she said. “He’s definitely my biggest supporter, gives me heaps of confidence, always encouraging me. He puts heaps of time and effort into my footy.”

Evans is in unchartered waters though, becoming the first member of her family to take up Australian rules football, and even when getting into the East Fremantle program, found it difficult to hold down a spot. Just last year Evans split her time between the League side (six games) and Rogers Cup team (seven) in a frustrating year for what was effectively her top-age AFLW Draft season.

That all changed in 2025, when Evans earned a Round 1 debut following the exits of some experienced defenders over the off-season. Not to rest on her laurels, the 176cm talent had an incredible season, holding her place in the side and playing every one of the Sharks’ 17 matches. When asked what the catalyst was for such a blistering year, Evans said external belief and internal confidence.

“I think for me it was honestly just being given an opportunity and then just having the confidence to back myself in,” she said. “Tempo (Matt Templeton, senior coach) was obviously an amazing coach for me, he’s probably the one who helped me grow my confidence so much as a player. He really put a lot of trust into me.

“I think that showed in my footy this year, just being able to finally show what I can do after probably being feeling like I’ve been overlooked before in previous years. Just honestly just being given the opportunity I felt like I was able to finally show what I was able to do, then just working on that each week throughout the season.”

One memorable game that every AFLW club recruiter should watch is her performance against West Perth in Round 13. Evans racked up a ridiculous 25 disposals, 13 marks and five rebound 50s, clunking anything that came her way in a hard-fought 12-point victory over the Falcons to keep their finals hopes alive.

“I think for me a big thing is just whatever the first thing I do in the game determines how confident I am and what type of game I’m going to play,” she said. “I think that first touch just set me up and just gave me the confidence.

“It was a bit later in the game (13th minute of the first term) so I was a bit like ‘am I going to get into this game?’ but once it just kept coming back to me and I kept taking those marks, I was super confident, I backed myself into everything. Just the adrenaline and obviously the girls really get around me and I was super happy and was able to play off that half-back role and use my agility to show my strengths.”

>> PLAYER FOCUS: Madison Evans (East Fremantle)

More accolades were to come for the Essendon supporter who was in her first full WAFLW season, when the tall defender finished second in East Fremantle’s best and fairest behind ruck Brooke Repacholi and on the podium with close friend and fellow defender, Maya Louvel-Finn. Both teenagers had made their League debuts the year before, but had not cemented their spots.

“That was incredible, I was so grateful for that,” Evans said of the best and fairest runner-up. “Just to know that people can recognise me as a good player. “It means a lot to me, I was so happy just even coming second in my first full season was just incredible.

“That was an incredible feeling and I know my parents were so proud of me and I was so proud of myself. Just getting that recognition’s really nice after probably previous years feeling like I wasn’t really appreciated or noticed.”

Evans is a tall defender who has plenty of traits that AFLW clubs will love. An athletic tall with a big endurance tank and incredibly strong hands overhead. She is fluent at intercept marking and has proven herself throughout the season that she can hold down a key post in the backline. As for her improvements, she is still honing some of her skills and being cleaner at ground level, which is understandable given her unique upbringing not necessarily with the Australian football following that many families have.

“I started doing skills training twice a week,” Evans said. “I’ve probably been doing that for the last two months and completely changed my ball drop and working on a left foot and everything, so that’s a big part. Then also just general running and gym just to maintain my fitness and strength.”

It is tough to make yourself noticed outside the traditional pathways of state league junior football, and Evans is a player who certainly should be getting more interest for her efforts. She ticks a lot of boxes for AFLW clubs, and the now passionate footy fan is hungry to take her game to the next level.

“Making it into the AFLW is probably my biggest goals,” she said. “Like growing up whether it was netball or footy I always wanted to play professionally and I think AFLW would be like a dream come true. I would love to be able to get to there. Just going to keep working towards that.

“I’d be more than happy to just have another solid season next year in League. I love playing footy, doesn’t matter what level I’m at, I’m more than happy to just keep going.”

Modelling her game off Fremantle’s Emma O’Driscoll, Evans said reaching the AFLW would be her “ultimate” goal. But she also has some aims she hopes to tick off over the next 12 months as she aims to improve.

“I’d like to next year play in the state team, or at least be in the squad because that’s something I never got to do, I was never part of the state program, that’s always been a dream of mine,” she said. “Then hopefully do well in the best and fairest again and just have a consistent season.”