14 Facts About Ron Evans

Ronald Barry Evans AM was an Australian rules footballer, Chairman of the Australian Football League from 1998 to 2007, as well as President of the Essendon Football Club from 1988 to 1992.

Ron Evans played full-forward in Caulfield Grammar's First XVIII, a team which contained two other future VFL players: Ron Cabble who played with Hawthorn, [1] and Footscray's John Schultz.

Ron Evans missed a number of games through injury in 1961; but, in 1962, John Coleman's second year as coach, he only played six senior games for Essendon, having lost his regular place at full-forward to Charlie Payne.

Ron Evans retired as a footballer at the end of the 1965 season at the age of 26.

Kurrle, who wanted him to play for the school's First XI, Evans played his first District cricket match for North Melbourne Cricket Club whilst still at school, at 16 years of age.

Ron Evans captained the First XI, and was made a life member of the club.

Ron Evans served on the committee of the Essendon Football Club from 1978 to 1987, having lost the 1981 election for president by a single vote to his former teammate Greg Sewell.

In 1988 he stood for president ; and, despite Sewell being a hot favourite for the position, Ron Evans won the election.

Ron Evans served as President of the Essendon Football Club from 1988 to 1992.

Ron Evans unexpectedly announced his retirement as president of the Essendon FC at the end of 1992.

Ron Evans became a very successful businessman, working as an executive for Spotless, and later as the company's managing director from 1992 to 2004.

In 2006, the AFL announced that Ron Evans was to have an abdominal tumor removed and that, due to his ill-health he was retiring.

Ron Evans was posthumously awarded membership in the administrator's Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2007.

The Ron Evans Medal was created in his name, awarded to the AFL Rising Star of that year, beginning in 2007, when it was inaugurally presented to Joel Selwood of the Geelong Football Club.