Francis Evans Biography

A concussion late in the season could have spelled the end of Francis Evans' AFL journey.

Instead, the small forward recovered quickly after colliding with Melbourne defender Steven May and immediately came back into the Carlton team.

Since his return, Evans has strung together the best four-week patch of his 44-game career, putting him in a strong position to be rewarded with another contract at Ikon Park.

"I've just tried to be a good teammate and focus on my pressure as a small forward," Evans said.

"The bigs do such a great job getting the ball to ground and finding a good contest, so I just try to get to their feet.

"I've been getting on the end of a few, which is nice, but I tried to build it off my pressure."

Steven May will come under scrutiny for a heavy bump on Francis Evans that left the Blues forward substituted from the game with a concussion. May himself suffered a concussion in the dying minutes of his side's eight-point loss to Carlton.

"Steve's whole intent was to get the ball, clearly," Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said of the incident.

"And you can see it, even if you slow it down, his whole intent was to win the ball, and it's really unfortunate to get a concussion in the game, and sometimes you can be concussed without (it) being reported. And, you know, it's going to be one of those ones that will have to go through the process."

Francis Evans has secured the final list spot at Carlton ahead of the pre-season supplemental selection period deadline, beating out four other contenders.

"Francis is a resilient person and player: his immense professionalism, dedication and hard work he has put in to make his way back to the highest level is really impressive. He's a great example for those coming through the system," Blues list boss Nick Austin said.

"He is a talented small forward who will really complement our current group, so we are excited to see his growth and development across the season."

Port Adelaide delists Quinton Narkle, Francis Evans, Tom Scully and Kyle Marshall.

"Quinton and Frankie have contributed really positively to our club, at both AFL and SANFL level," Port list manager Jamie Cripps said.

"They provided good depth for us when we needed it, and we are grateful for the time they spent at Port Adelaide."

Port Adelaide signs former Geelong player Francis Evans as a delisted free agent.

"Going into the off-season we recognised a need to bolster our small forward stocks and Francis is a player we identified as suiting that need," Port Adelaide list manager Jason Cripps said.

"We know he has an eye for goal but is also not immune to working hard to win the ball and keep it in the forward line."

Geelong delists five players, including Quinton Narkle, Francis Evans, Paul Tsapatolis, Nick Stevens and Zane Williams.

"Each player has played their part in our recent success, and we thank them for their commitment and dedication to our football program," Cats football boss Simon Lloyd said.

"To pull on the hoops is an achievement in of itself, and each of these young men should be incredibly proud to have represented the Geelong Football Club."

Francis Evans makes his AFL debut for Geelong at Kardinia Park with 7 disposals (7 kicks), 4 marks, a tackle and 2 goals in a 1-point win over Brisbane.