THE following brief history of the life of Crad Evans was written by Harry Wilson, who played with Crad in Townsville. The Crad Evans Shield is the symbol of soccer supremacy in North Queensland. Crad Evans was one of the soccer – playing giants in the history of Townsville and Queensland Soccer. He played his early soccer in Ipswich, where he reached the peak of his career in the late Twenties. In one season, his team, Blackstone Rovers, won the Ipswich premiership and the Tristram Shield, a knockout competition for all first and second division teams in Brisbane and Ipswich. At inside left he was a regular member of the Ipswich team that played against Brisbane many times. Twice he represented Ipswich against New South Wales, and he also played for Ipswich against Czechoslovakia. He was twice a reserve in the Queensland team, which played New South Wales, and was also a Queensland reserve in a match against the Czechs. He was regularly acclaimed as the best forward in the Ipswich side.On arrival in Townsville in 1930, he played for South’s for a short time then joined the newly formed Nationals, who became Estates in 1932. He was captain of Estates until the outbreak of World War II, and captain of the Townsville soccer side from 1932 for five years, as well as a member of the Townsville Soccer Association executive and a selector.

Crad was president and coach of the Estates when the club was re-formed in 1951, and his leadership was an inspiration that led Estates on the road to years of victory. Evidence of this is the fact that Estates won the premiership six times out of ten while he was at the helm, and the junior premiership five times (three years in succession).

Not only in Soccer was he acclaimed, but also in the field of athletics. He was a member of Thompson Estate Harriers, Brisbane, during the Twenties, represented Queensland in athletics in 1928, in which year he was Queensland hop, step and jump (triple jump) champion. He came within 2 inches of winning the Australian broad jump title. He leapt 21 feet 9 inches in the national championships, 2 inches less than a fellow Queenslander. Later, on the same day, he broke the Queensland record with a jump of 22 feet 6 inches, his opponent leaping only 22 feet 1 inch. He also played A grade turf cricket for All Blacks in Townsville for five years, as an all-rounder. In one year he won the Townsville Cricket Association fielding trophy.
A leading soccer administrator since the war until his death in 1961, his great efforts and achievements have paved the way to the present day high standard of football which exists in Townsville, and to his memory the valuable Crad Evans Memorial Shield has been dedicated for perpetual competition. It was presented to the North Queensland Soccer Federation by Estates Soccer Club in 1963, so his name may live forever in the history of the sport which owes him so much.

Brothers teams that have won:

Premier League: 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002

Reserve Grade: 1995, 2005, 2010, 2012

2nd Division: 2006, 2007

Colts Division: 2007, 2011

Fillies: 2011