A shift from the forward line into the midfield could prove the making of Bendigo Pioneers prospect Billy Evans, who was taken by the Brisbane Lions with their first selection (Pick No.4 overall) at Wednesday’s AFL Rookie Draft.

Evans had played most of his junior football up forward, but it probably wasn’t until 2015 that he caught the eye of AFL recruiters after proving a valuable big-bodied midfielder.

He also supplemented his ball-winning ability (he averaged 23 disposals and four clearances per game in the TAC Cup last season) by being dangerous around goals (he kicked 14).

Evans’ ability to both win the ball in the middle and contribute to the scoreboard was ultimately what impressed Lions recruiters most.

“Billy’s a developing inside midfielder from Bendigo who played a lot of his junior football as an undersized key forward,” Recruiting Manager Stephen Conole said.

“We were really impressed with his ability one year in to show genuine improvement as a midfielder, and we’re confident that he can continue this development and fulfil a role through our midfield.”

Evans admitted that he had to undergo a steep learning curve in 2014 to evolve into a genuine midfielder.

“Most of my first year with the Pioneers was at half-forward, with a run on the ball for a short time,” Evans told the Bendigo Advertiser earlier in the year.

“Going into this season David Newett (Pioneers coach) spoke about playing a lot more time in the midfield.

“It meant a lot of running in pre-season and specific work around stoppages and centre bounces.

“Being a bigger-bodied player does help in the contests, but it’s knowing when to and where to run that’s just as important.”