Former Victorian and Melbourne Renegades fast bowler Zak Evans outlines his ambitions after finally joining Gold Coast Suns

The Gold Coast Suns have snared the services of a former Melbourne Renegades and Victoria fast bowler.

Former Melbourne Renegades fast bowler Zak Evans has made the switch from cricket to Aussie rules in joining the Gold Coast Suns. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Former Melbourne Renegades and Victoria cricketer Zak Evans hopes to be playing in the VFL by the end of the season after joining the Gold Coast Suns.

Evans, 24, trained with the Suns for the first time on Monday, with the Gold Coast club having lodged paperwork with the AFL to sign him as a category B rookie for next season.

In the meantime, Evans will be permitted to play for Gold Coast’s reserves this year.

“I’d like to be playing VFL footy by the end of the season,” he said.

“I like to push myself. I still feel like I’ve got a cricket body but hopefully a couple of weeks in the gym and a few weeks running will get me ready for that VFL stuff.”

Evans’ most recent game of competitive football was for Xavier College in 2018, and that allowed him to bypass the draft system.

Ex-cricketer Zak Evans has joined the Gold Coast Suns. Picture: Mike Owen/Getty Images

“I’m obviously not AFL standard yet. I’ve got a bit of work to go, but it’s nice to come here not raw, and I’m looking forward to hopefully improving and lifting my standards,” he said.

“If I was to go back six months now, it’s not something that would even have crossed my mind, but being here now, it’s an opportunity that I’m keen to relish.

“I’m stoked to be here and stoked to be around the boys. You could tell there was something pretty special brewing here, something that I would have wanted to be a part of.”

The former fast bowler said it was a “very different environment and atmosphere being a professional cricketer and a professional football player”.

“In cricket, it’s more a team of individuals,” he said.

“In footy everyone’s pushing, doing similar things. I feel like the team spirit and team camaraderie that comes with footy is quite different to cricket.”

Suns national recruiting manager Kall Burns said the club had scouted Evans – who also attracted interest from North Melbourne – when he was playing school football.

“As a football club, we are continuously striving to improve our list and this includes players from non-traditional pathways,” Burns said.

“We are pleased Zak chose to join our club and commit to the journey our players and staff are on.”

Meanwhile, Suns forward Ben Ainsworth has signed a four-year contract extension with the Gold Coast club.

“I’ve loved my eight years here and can see the future success we are building towards,” 26-year-old Ainsworth said.

“There’s no way I wanted to miss out on that after all the hard work we’ve done as a group to get to this position.”

Ainsworth won’t play again this season because of a shoulder injury he suffered earlier this month.

Originally published as Former Victorian and Melbourne Renegades fast bowler Zak Evans outlines his ambitions after finally joining Gold Coast Suns