The life-long Bomber will be deputy to new Cobden coach Dan Casey in 2022, likely in a non-playing capacity, as the club eyes a return to Hampden league finals.

Evans always liked the idea of coaching and with a vacancy to Casey's appointment, he approached the club to offer his help. Fast-forward a couple of months and the 30-year-old is enjoying his first pre-season as a senior assistant.

"In the past two or three years I haven't played much because of COVID obviously, but also I've had a lot of injuries. I've been around the club and I helped coach the under 18s for four years all up," Evans said.

"I did that with Damon Delaney in the first two years and then I helped a good mate of mine, Brad Couch. I've played a lot of footy with him.

"He's sort of always encouraged me to have a go at it, if I ever got a chance to coach because I was only sort of helping him out on the side while I was playing senior footy and I really enjoyed that. (Ex-Cobden coach) Adam Courtney was also a big supporter.

"I thought there was an opportunity there (with the seniors) and I went to the club and said 'if there's any chance of me helping out, I'd love to be able to put my name up there'. They said when they get a coach they'd talk to the coach.

"We appointed Dan - he's a great fella - and as soon as he was appointed, I messaged him myself and said I'd really like to learn the ropes and progress one day into a senior coach myself. He was more than happy to help."

The Bombers are likely to blood several young players in 2022 - many of which Evans helped bring through the under 18s - as the rebuild takes shape.

Guiding players on the cusp of their peak is also high on Evans' radar.

"There's a good core group of kids there. Jack Hutt is one who has gone to another level in the last year and he's ready to take off. His leadership is already showing through," he said.

"There's a few others there - your Paul Pekins, Christian Koroneos - guys in that age group who are ready to go and have been playing good footy for a while now.

"I'd love to be able to have some input to develop them to the next stage and hopefully get all those boys to the stage they can be asked to go and train interleague, that's something I'd really push for.

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"I just love working with the young fellas and I've got a good relationship with them. The ones I coached through the under 18s are sort of coming through and I know how they play which is good.

"It'll just be that next step, trying to tweak them that little bit to turn them into good blokes, firstly, and good footballers as well."

Evans said the chance to work with Casey - someone he'd played against while the latter was playing coach at Camperdown - was exciting. Cobden was competitive in 2021 but finished ninth in a COVID-shortened season.

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