EFNL 2025: Blackburn under-19 premiership captain Harry Evans joins Lilydale

A highly-touted under-19 top-division premiership tall has landed at Lilydale in a move set to shake things up on-field at the Falcons.

EFNL 2025: New Lilydale recruit Harry Evans (R) has played in the past three under-19 Premier Division flags with Blackburn, captaining the team in 2024. Picture: Davis Harrigan

Lilydale’s latest inclusion can best be described as “massive”.

In stature – and potential – according to senior coach Duncan Jones.

The signing of Blackburn under-19 premiership captain Harry Evans is touted to shuffle the magnets at the Eastern Division 2 club, with the tall set to serve as a key post in defence.

Winning under-19 flags in the league’s top division in 2022, ’23 – and ’24 as skipper – Evans, a former Oakleigh Charger, reunites with Jones, an ex-assistant at the Coates league outfit.

It’s understood multiple Eastern clubs had been in the hunt for the 20-year-old.

“He’d be 196cm, a key back for us and I’ve worked with him at the Oakleigh Chargers before and tried to get him to Williamstown (VFL) last year,” Jones said.

“He’s just turned 20 and he’s been taking hangers on blokes’ heads at training.

“He fills a massive key position role for us – an absolute monster of a kid for 20 years old and wants to play senior football and wants to stand out.

“We’ve said we’ll invest pretty heavily in him.”

Evans (2) flies in for a grab in last year’s under-19 Premier Division grand final. Picture: Davis Harrigan

Jones said Evans would step into the shoes of fellow tall Jackson Flint, who will swing into attack this year.

“It’s massive for us because we’re taking our centre half-back (Flint) and putting him forward,” he said.

“Now we’ve got three genuine talls up forward and makes it really difficult to match up on.

“Out of necessity (Flint) has gone back … but with (Evans’ inclusion), it puts us in a really flexible position.”

It’s been a busy off-season of recruiting since Jones’ appointment in September, welcoming Josh Scrivano (Skye/Banks Bulldogs), Max Dooley (Doncaster), Corey Waite (Montrose) and Kynan French (Woori Yallock).

The Falcons met Yarra Glen in the annual ‘Ryan Donald Memorial Match’ last weekend, testing their wares in their first pre-season clash.

“We looked fantastic in certain areas like our ball movement, so we were really happy from a first hitout perspective,” Jones said.

“It was exactly how we wanted to play.”