READ MORE - Billy Evans promoted to Brisbane senior list

READ MORE - Evans to make AFL debut with Lions

EAGLEHAWK'S rebuilding of its midfield has received a timely boost with the addition of former Brisbane Lion Billy Evans.

The signing of the 23-year-old for the Hawks comes on the back of a host of key departures since losing the BFNL grand final to Strathfieldsaye last month.

Evans has previously played in the BFNL with Sandhurst, including in the Dragons' 2014 grand final team, but his return to Bendigo will be at Canterbury Park.

"I've got a bit of a family connection at Eaglehawk... my pop Herb Evans is a past best and fairest winner at the club (in 1963)," Evans said on Sunday.

"It's a great club with a good reputation and I'm really looking forward to being involved at Eaglehawk.

"They have a lot of guys on their list around the same age as me, so that's a big attraction and I'm just really excited."

Evans - who works as a landscaper - has spent the past three years on the list of VFL club Box Hill, including the previous two aligned with Waverley Blues, winning the best and fairest this year.

Having been drafted from the Bendigo Pioneers in 2014 as a rookie, Evans spent two seasons on the Brisbane Lions' list.

He played seven AFL games for the Lions, debuting in a 14-point loss to Gold Coast in round 19 of 2015.

"I really enjoyed the couple of years at Brisbane... I matured a lot after finishing school and moving up there without knowing anyone," Evans said.

"It was great for me as a person, a great place to live and I'll try to bring as much of that experience as I can back to Eaglehawk.

"I've only just turned 23, so I'm hoping to be here for a long time and, hopefully, I can look back on my footy career when I'm my pop's age and see that I spent the majority of my time at Eaglehawk."

Evans joins what will be a new-look Eaglehawk side next year given the Hawks have lost Brodie Collins, Ben McPhee, Jesse Collins, Trent Bacon, Lachlan Atherton (all to LBU), Jack Fallon (White Hills) and Tim Hill (Charlton).

"It's great for the club to have signed Billy; he likes what he sees with the group of young players that we've got and whenever someone like Billy comes in it creates a fair bit of excitement," Eaglehawk coach Travis Matheson said.

As well as Evans, the Hawks have also signed Jake Twycross from Waverely Blues. Twycross has also previously played at Sandhurst.

"Jake was Waverley's vice-captain, so like Billy, he will bring that leadership that is really important," Matheson said.

"We see him playing up around the wing and giving us that leg speed that's really going to be a focus of ours next year."

And the Hawks' backline will feature Charlie Langford who was on the club's list this year, but only played one reserves game due to Melbourne Grammar commitments and a late-season illness, while Jarrod Findlay is returning to Canterbury Park from North Bendigo.

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