The Just Better Care Wollongong Roller Hawks have landed one of the National Wheelchair Basketball League’s most experienced and respected players, with Australian Roller Phil Evans signing with the club for the upcoming season. 

 

Evans joins the Roller Hawks after a decorated stint with the Perth Wheelcats, the only NWBL club he has represented since taking up wheelchair basketball nine years ago.

The 35-year-old was part of the Australian Rollers squad that competed at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and was also a member of the side that qualified for the World Championships in Ottawa, Canada, later this year.

Roller Hawks President Geoff Adams said Evans’ arrival was a major boost for the club.

“Phil is an outstanding signing for the Roller Hawks and someone we’ve admired for a long time,” Adams said.

“He brings international experience, a relentless work ethic and the kind of competitive edge that lifts everyone around him.”

“We already have a strong core of players who were part of the Rollers squad that qualified for the World Championships, and adding Phil to that group gives us another player who understands what it takes to perform at the highest level.”

The signing has been made possible thanks to Roller Hawks Platinum Partner, RGK Wheelchairs.

“Phil is a great addition to the team and I really want to express my gratitude to Matt Butterworth and the team at RGK for helping make this happen. Phil is an RGK athlete and with their support we were able to make this happen.”

A Fresh Start After a Long Wheelcats Journey

For Evans, the move east marks a significant change. Having only ever played for Perth since entering wheelchair basketball, he said joining the Roller Hawks was both unfamiliar and exciting.

“Honestly, it’s very different for me because since my accident I’ve only ever played for the Wheelcats,” Evans said.

“So trying something new is a really exciting opportunity. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to join another club, and when the Roller Hawks reached out it was something I really wanted to explore.”

Evans sustained a spinal injury in a car accident in 2013, fracturing his T11 and T12 vertebrae, and later found his way into wheelchair basketball after initially being reluctant to give the sport a go.

Now one of the country’s most experienced players, he said the opportunity to join Wollongong came at the right time.

Professionalism, Culture and a Chance to Grow

Evans said the Roller Hawks’ reputation across the league made the decision easier.

“First and foremost it was the professionalism of the organisation,” he said.

“They’ve been a very successful team for a long time – they’re always in finals, they’re always well organised and well supported.

“When they approached me they already had everything prepared and it showed how professional the club is. It made the decision a lot easier.”

Adams said Evans would add more than just talent on game day.

“Phil gives us an import-level talent in terms of what he brings to the group, but just as importantly, his experience around our players will be invaluable,” Adams said.

“He knows what high-performance environments look like, he knows what’s required at international level, and that will only help strengthen our culture.”

A Team-First Player with Rollers Connections

A two-point classification player, Evans is known for his physical style and selfless approach.

“I like to think of myself as a bit of a dog of a player – someone who does the dirty work,” he said.

“I’m not worried about the stats. I don’t care if I’m the one scoring the points or getting the rebounds. I just want the team to win.

“Whatever role I need to play to help the team succeed, that’s what I’m happy to do.”

Evans already has strong ties within the squad through his time with the Australian Rollers, with several Roller Hawks players also part of that national team environment.

“I’ve spent time playing with some of the guys in the Rollers and we’ve already started talking about how we might fit together this season,” he said.

“The Roller Hawks play a really strong style of basketball and being around players at that level is only going to help me continue improving.”

Balancing Perth Life with a Big Year Ahead


Evans will join the Roller Hawks in a fly-in, fly-out arrangement from Perth, balancing his club commitments with training in Western Australia and his Australian Rollers ambitions.


He currently works at the University of Western Australia in the sport department, focusing on student engagement with affiliated sporting clubs, and says his workplace has been highly supportive of his sporting commitments.

His immediate goal is to lock in his spot in the Australian Rollers squad for the World Championships in Canada later this year.

“My goal is to maintain my place in the Rollers squad heading into the World Championships,” he said.

“No spot is guaranteed, so I need to play really well this year.

“Playing with the Roller Hawks and alongside other Rollers players will definitely help push me to that next level.”

Big Early Test Against His Former Club

The Roller Hawks open their season on the road against the Southern Districts Spartans in Queensland from June 12–14, before returning home for a blockbuster Round 2 clash against Evans’ former club, the Perth Wheelcats, at Shellharbour City Stadium from June 19–21.

That series shapes as one of the early highlights of the season, with Evans set to take on the club where he built his NWBL career.

 

EARLY SEASON DRAW FULL FIXTURES go to rollerhawks.com.au or wba.net.au 

ROUND 1 – vs SOUTHERN DISTRICTS SPARTANS

Southern Districts Basketball Association, Queensland

Friday 12 June 6:15pm – 3x3 7:30pm – 5 on 5

Saturday 13 June 2:15pm – 3x3 3:00pm – 5 on 5

Sunday 14 June 10:00am – 5 on 5

 

ROUND 2 – vs PERTH WHEELCATS

Shellharbour City Stadium

Friday 19 June 6:15pm – 3x3 7:00pm – 5 on 5

Saturday 20 June 2:15pm – 3x3 3:00pm – 5 on 5

Sunday 21 June 11:30am – 5 on 5