Kel Evans may have established himself as Canberra’s new running king, but the former Queanbeyan Tiger is more interested in making his NEAFL debut than claiming more pre-season testing titles this year.
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The former the Queanbeyan Tigers midfielder caught the eye of coach Kade Klemke in the AFL Canberra Competition last season, where Evans was crowned the Mulrooney Medallist as the league’s best and fairest player.
The 20-year-old showed his gratitude by winning the club’s pre and post-Christmas 2km time trials.
"Running is a big part of my game, so I do put a lot of effort into trying to improve in that area," Evans said.
His efforts are just a continuation of the growth he started as part of the Tathra-Bega premiership winning combine in SCAFL’s 2016 season.
Club officials were quick to point out that Evans had been named best on ground that occasion, already establishing himself then as a star player.
Just like winning the Canberra best and fairest title, Evans stayed humble, saying he was just happy to see the work paying off.
“It’s nice to see the training I have been doing is working and, more importantly, hopefully it can help my footy,” he said.
“I’m really grateful that Kade and Shaun have given me a chance to develop my game and hopefully I can get my opportunity in the NEAFL this year.”
Although he has been leading them around the track so far this summer, Evans said he was very impressed by his new teammates’ fitness levels, in particular experienced midfielders Mitch Maguire, Jarrod Osborne and defender Riley Budd.
I’m really grateful ... hopefully I can get my opportunity in the NEAFL this year
- Kel Evans
"Although fitness is key in footy, it really doesn't mean much if your running to the wrong spot," Evans said.
"Everyone is really fit but you can see that the experienced lads know how to use their fitness to find the footy more often without burning out."
"I'm just trying too learn off them."
Evans had earlier said that it can be hard to find the balance with work and training, but he was dedicated to making it work.
“You’ve got to find the time if you want to compete at a higher level,” he said.
The NEAFL competition features some prominent teams including the Sydney Swans, GWS and the NT Thunder.
The 2019 season bursts into round one on April 6.
Info courtesy of Canberra Demons
