Shadeene "Shay" Evans (born 7 September 2001) is an Australian soccer player. She currently plays for Central Coast Mariners and for the Australia women's national under-20 soccer team.

Shay Evans
Personal information
Full name Shadeene Evans
Date of birth (2001-09-07) 7 September 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth Borroloola, Australia
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Central Coast Mariners
Number 24
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2020 Sydney FC 5 (1)
2020 Sydney Olympic 5 (1)
2021 Northern Tigers 12 (5)
2021–2022 Adelaide United 7 (0)
2022–2023 Sydney FC 1 (0)
2023– Central Coast Mariners 12 (0)
International career
2019 Australia U-17
2019– Australia U-20 2 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 28 May 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 May 2019

Early life

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Born and raised in Borroloola, Northern Territory, Australia, Evans was introduced to soccer at age nine, by the JMF program run by John Kundereri Moriarty the first Indigenous footballer to be selected for Australia.[1][2] Her first coach was inaugural program director Daniel Campos, a former goalkeeper who began the program in 2012. After much learning, training under the program with various coaches her game needed further development thus in 2014, Moriarty picked Evans as a maiden program candidate for a school sports scholarship. Prior to this, along with other Indigenous youth, she was part of a select group from Borroloola to visit Brazil and experience the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[3][4]

In August 2015, Evans moved to New South Wales where she attended Westfields Sports High School located 3,000 kilometers from Borroloola. "I miss family, going out bush and hunting and camping. It's bush, scrub and rivers, and we sleep outside with tents and a fire. It's really small, a really remote community, and there's not many people. But there's a lot of soccer," she says.[3] She was coached by Alen Stajcic, the head coach of the Australia women's national soccer team. In addition to training at school, she also became a part of the NSW Institute of Sport.[5][3][6]

Club career

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In November 2018, Evans signed with Sydney FC ahead of the 2018-19 W-League season.[7] She made her debut for the club during a 3–0 win against the Western Sydney Wanderers on 10 January 2019.[8]

On 17 November 2019, Evans scored her first senior goal for Sydney FC in a 3–0 win over Melbourne Victory in Round 1 of the 2019–20 W-League season.[9]

After the W-League season, Evans returned to the NPL, and played 5 matches for Sydney Olympic.[10] The next season she joined Northern Tigers.[11]

Ahead of the 2021–22 A-League Women season, Evans returned to the top Australian league, joining Adelaide United.[12] In October 2022, she returned to Sydney FC.[13] In September 2023, Evans joined Central Coast Mariners.[14]

International career

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In March 2018, Evans was named to the Young Matildas along with ten other footballers from the NSW Institute of Sport, for a week-long training camp preceding a match against Thailand.[15]

References

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  1. ^ "Shay's living the dream and wants others to join her - The World Game". Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  2. ^ Wellington, Shahni (14 July 2018). "'Untapped potential': Top soccer coach looks to Indigenous communities". ABC News. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Gorman, Joe (26 March 2016). "Shadeene Evans on pathway to become best soccer player, person and student she can be". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  4. ^ "Evans gets taste of the big time". www.ntnews.com.au. 29 March 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  5. ^ "Shadeene Evans kicking goals on the path to elite football - Pacific School Games". 4 December 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  6. ^ "Shadeene Evans paving pathways for Indigenous athletes". Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  7. ^ "Sydney swoop for NT hotshot". The Women's Game. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  8. ^ "Foord and Juric: Shay Evans has talent". The Women's Game. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  9. ^ "Sydney FC Kick Off W-League Season In Style". Sydney FC. 17 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  10. ^ "Player statistics for Shadeene Evans 2020". National Premier Leagues NSW. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Player statistics for Shadeene Evans 2021". National Premier Leagues NSW. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  12. ^ "Reds sign Shadeene Evans for upcoming A-League Women season". Adelaide United. 8 October 2021.
  13. ^ Warriner, David (14 October 2022). "Star Power Arrives From Home And Abroad". Sydney FC.
  14. ^ "Mariners sign young forward Shadeene Evans". Central Coast Mariners. 9 September 2023.
  15. ^ "Eleven Football NSW Institute stars named in Young Matildas squad - Football NSW". 2 March 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
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