Hawks’ captain nabs Michelsen Medal victory
EAGLEHAWK captain Billy Evans has won the Michelsen Medal as fairest and best in Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL senior footy for the ’25 season.
Evans became the 11th player from the Borough to claim the league’s highest individual honour.
His win at Sunday night’s vote count at Bendigo Club kicked off a big week for the club as Eaglehawk will face Sandhurst in this Saturday’s grand final.
Evans had two great blocks in the season where he racked up the votes.
He was adjudged best-on-grounds in rounds two, three and five.
As the race tightened up it was Sandhurst on-baller and co-coach Lachlan Tardrew who led on 13 vote after 10 rounds.
Next best were Evans and South Bendigo on-baller Brody Haddow on 12.
A maximum three votes for Tardrew in the 11th round put last season’s joint winner with Gisborne’s Brad Bernacki and Braidon Blake on 16 votes.
Haddow also gained three votes to be on 15.
It was then Evans who struck back by being declared best in the round 12 and 13 contests.
After 13 rounds it was Evans and Tardrew on 18 and 17 votes.
One vote for Tardrew in the 14th made it a deadlock.
Evans earnt two votes in the 15th round against Kangaroo Flat to be on 20.
The 16th round included three votes for Haddow.
Two votes for Tardrew against Gisborne meant he and Evans were joint leaders.
Final card to be called by Kylie Ellis was Eaglehawk’s clash with Castlemaine at Canterbury Park.
Three votes to Evans clinched a dramatic victory.
“I didn’t expect this at all,” Evans said from the presentation dais alongside MC Joel Peterson.
He made a brilliant start to the season, but Evans thought his second half was not as strong.
The umpires did not see it that way.
In a season where it clinched a double chance and has a 2-1 record in its finals campaign, Eaglehawk is through to the grand final against Sandhurst.
“It’s been my most enjoyable year in footy, so far,” Evans said.
The Hawks’ skipper said team chemistry and the passion of the supporters made Eaglehawk a great place to be.
It’s his fifth season at the club on a footy journey that began with Sandhurst juniors and involves stints with Bendigo Pioneers, Brisbane Lions, and Box Hill.
First senior grand final for Evans was in 2014 when Sandhurst was beaten by Strathfieldsaye.
He said the experience from being with the Lions was invaluable.
“I learnt a lot about what you do between the end of a season and the start of the next pre-season can really set you up.
“The work you do then is so important.”
There are many strengths to his game, but Evans said a focus in ’25 was having more of an impact in attack.
He is a crucial cog in a line-up jointly coached by Travis Matheson and Clayton Holmes.
“I am super-proud of the boys on what we have done so far,” said Evans.
“We have been building toward this for a few seasons now,” he said of earning a shot at winning the premiership.
Another key factor for the Borough on Saturday will be the noise from “One Eyed Hill” at the Barnard Street end of the ground.
“The support we have is amazing. It’s great to have so many passionate supporters on our side.”
An outstanding run for Evans with the Borough includes being a three-time winner of the George Ilsley Medal as senior club champion.
Evans joins Hawks’ greats Greg Kennedy, Allan Williams, Des English, Reece Langan, Lucas Matthews, Kain Robins, Shannon Milward, Josh Bowe, Brodie Filo and Noah Wheeler on the Michelsen Medal honour roll.
Now it’s a premiership medal he will chase.
Leading vote-getters for your club in this season’s Michelsen Medal:
Castlemaine:
8 Ryan Eyre; 6 Kalan Huntly; 5 Matt Filo; 4 Josh Eyre.
Eaglehawk:
23 Billy Evans; 15 Brayden Frost *; 10 Ben Thompson; 6 Tyh Evans.
Gisborne:
10 Brad Bernacki; 9 Jack Reaper; 8 Dylan Johnstone; 7 Shane Clough.
Golden Square:
11 Dylan Hird; 5 Jayden Burke; 4 Terence Reeves, Tom Strauch.
Kangaroo Flat:
7 Angus Macpherson; 4 Ethan Roberts.
Sandhurst:
20 Lachlan Tardrew; 12 Matt Wilkinson; 9 Lachie Hood; 6 Cooper Smith.
South Bendigo:
18 Brody Haddow; 9 Jack Fallon, Anthony Zimmerman; 6 Callum Crisp.
Strathfieldsaye:
8 Riley Wilson; 6 Bode Stevens, 5 Cooper Jones, Jordan Wilson.
