AFL Draft: Bendigo Pioneer Connor Evans survived a crash with a truck on country highway

An AFL draft hopeful walked away with a concussion, chipped tooth and some whiplash after a collision with a truck. He talks about the scary experience and his miraculous three-week recovery.

Connor Evans playing for Bendigo Pioneers. (Photo by Rob Lawson/AFL Photos)

A top AFL draft hopeful is lucky to be alive after being “cleaned up” by a truck on his way to training.

Connor Evans, who was selected to play for Vic Country in this month’s national championships, just helped deliver some firewood and was on his way to Bendigo Pioneers training.

The 18-year-old was preparing to turn off the highway when a truck hit him from behind four weeks ago.

The collision knocked the truck over and Evans unconscious.

“I remember everything leading up to it,” he said.

“He came from behind and cleaned me up … I must’ve been sitting in the middle waiting to turn, he ended up flipping over and my car got pushed to the side of the road.”

Connor Evans kicks long. (Photo by Rob Lawson/AFL Photos)

Evans, who had only held his license for three weeks, was taken to hospital where he spent the night undergoing scans.

He luckily walked out the next day relatively unscathed.

“I got knocked out so I don’t remember much of it,” he said.

“A chipped tooth, whiplash here and there but apart from that I am all good.

“Mum’s still in shock about it all, I am not too bad because I don’t remember much of it.

“I only spent one night there and then they were happy with my scans so I got sent home the next day.”

Evans is set to train with Carlton VFL. (Photo by Rob Lawson/AFL Photos)

Evans spent the next three weeks in concussion protocols and missed his chance to play for Vic Country.

He made his return at the weekend against Northern Knights, admittedly nervous for the first time this season.

“I was absolutely gutted, to be honest,” he said about missing the championships.

“I was picked for the Brisbane game but then that didn’t happen, they did ask me to go up and do the camp anyway.”

To add to the whirlwind back half of Evans’ season, Carlton VFL has asked him to join training.

He thinks he was having a solid season before his accident and hopes he can regain that form with the Blues.

“I am trying to find that consistency back, I have been asked to train with Carlton VFL in the next couple of weeks,” he said.

“Danny (Pioneers coach Danny O’Bree) says all the time that it’s always good to take your opportunities when they pop up and play the best level of footy you can.”

Evans is a Year 12 student at Bendigo Senior Secondary College and plays his local footy at Kangaroo Flat.