Yartapuulti defender Logan Evans put pen to paper this week, signing a three-year extension to stay at Alberton until at least the end of 2028. 

Picked up in the mid-season draft last year, Evans made his AFL debut three weeks later, and went on to play the final 13 games of 2024.  

Speaking with the Adelaide media this week, the 19-year-old discussed his meteoric rise to the AFL, his ongoing form, and how the group reviewed the Geelong loss. 

Evans on his contract extension 
“(Contract discussions have gone on for) a couple of months, but it's been pretty cruisy, I’ve just being trying to play some footy and get some good, consistent footy going. So it's been good, but yeah, it's been a few months. 

“Yeah, it's nice (to have it done). It is a real relief, especially from, I guess, where I've come from, and the hard work I've had to put in. So yeah, I'm pretty proud of the effort I've done, but also how much belief Port have put into me, and their willingness to keep me around for three years.” 

Evans on his performance this year 
“Yeah, performance wise, I've probably been a bit frustrated in myself not being able to perform what I can, the level I know I can play at, and not really being to help the team as much as I wanted, but I also know that, I’ve got to keep staying ready, and my past month of footy has actually been more positive than it was at the start. I'm just doing as much, and being as professional as I can be for myself and for the team.” 

Evans on finding form in the SANFL this year 
“Yeah, that's what me and Kenny spoke about. He's been really, really good to me. I guess I'm still 19, so I'm still learning the game. But he just wanted me to get my confidence back. He says when I'm playing with confidence, I'm pretty good player. So being able to just, yeah, go back to work on my defensive stuff and just get the ball in my hands again was a really big key factor in playing some twos.” 

Evans on putting pressure on himself 
“Yeah, I'm pretty hard on myself, I guess, especially from how I went last year, as we just spoke about. I had a good pre-season, and trying to be able to just come out and I guess, shoot the lights out, play some really good footy, is not how it always goes, it's a bit harder than you think. But I think I've learned from it now, and I'm in a pretty good place.” 

“I reckon that's what me and some of the coaches really focus on now, is that I'm still pretty young, but I'm also I know I can play well. So finding that balance of not being overly harsh on myself and super critical, but also having those standards and really striving to be the best I can be.” 

Evans on having Connor Rozee in the backline 
“He's great to me. He shows our best players are really good both ends and can play different positions. I guess for him, it just shows like, he's such a good weapon offensively, but he's also been really reliable to us in the past month defensively.” 

Evans on his best position 
“Probably not forward, but um yeah, I guess whatever the team wants, I'm always happy to play. I played a bit of wing when I was younger, but just being able to be versatile. I spoke about that a while back, a bit like Miles Bergman. I kind of model my game off him, because he's really good defensively and offensively.” 

Evans on team performance  
“I think it's just contest, pressure and defence. I think we've spoke with the coaches in the meetings yesterday, just being able to really grit and grind for, I guess, a full game. And going through with, hard close wins, close losses, or, like, even tough wins, like, they don't always have to be pretty. But if we can just keep fighting it out, it's probably the most important thing.” 

Evans on opportunity 
“Yeah, I'd love to play as many games as I can but yeah, just keep doing, keep doing the team thing. And being that team man is what got me to play last year. So just keep being a good teammate is important. And then I'll let my skills to work when it comes to it.” 

Evans on supporting each other on field 
“Yeah, I think just being able to be, as you said, supportive, but like, I think we're pretty connected. I just guess when it's a close game, or we're pretty tired, that's when it's important to just keep staying together and talk as much as we can.” 

Evans on the Geelong game review 
“Yeah, 100 per cent (it was honest). I think it's good. It’s like a whole club thing, like the coaches are pretty upfront, and it makes us players be upfront as well, because we know we’ve got that trust of each other. And it's not really a blame game, everyone's taking that accountability. So it's a good thing for us as a coaching and playing group, to be a bit open to everyone and understand where we we’ve got to get to work.” 

Evans on the game plan 
“Yeah, I think we’ve shown in games that, when we are playing well in our game plan we are playing to, we're pretty hard to stop at times. So yeah, I think just be able to keep picking up and working on that and playing it for a longer period of time. And it's pretty early in the season (still).” 

Evans on Ken Hinkley 
“Yeah, 100 per cent (we’re behind him)…we love him. He's our coach this year. Carry (Josh Carr) takes over next year, and will be our coach next year. But this year it’s us and Ken.