Tom Atkins has established himself in Geelong’s VFL line-up this season by filling a void of inside grunt and relentless tackling pressure at the club.
The 20-year-old is the second-ranked player in the Peter Jackson VFL for total tackles this year – averaging eight per game – and won’t stop harassing the opposition for fear of losing his spot in the team.
With hard-nuts such as 2015 AFL-listed Cats Jarrad Jansen and Dean Gore now at other clubs and the likes of George Horlin-Smith and Brenton Rees missing chunks of 2016 through injury, Atkins has had to step up to take on the Geelong VFL team’s inside jobs.
The former Geelong Falcon has played 14 games this season after making just 10 appearances across 2014-15. In addition to his outstanding tackle numbers, he also leads the club for total contested possessions and hard-ball gets, and has kicked 12 goals.
“I certainly didn’t expect it to turn out this way at the start of the season,” Atkins said. “I guess a few things have gone my way and positions have opened up. I’ve sort of just adapted and played the roles I need to play, and that’s how I’ve held my spot.
“I initially saw myself as a bit of top-up player who could come in and play five or six games when needed. But at the start of the season, we were a bit short on inside midfielders and the team just needed me a bit more than I thought they would.”
Atkins’ performances have proven a win for Geelong’s VFL development program. He spent his first year out of the TAC Cup on the club’s development list, eventually being called into the VFL team as a 23rd player and then also spending 2015 in cameo roles.
In between, Atkins helped St Joseph’s win its first Geelong Football League premiership since 1989 last year, an experience he “can’t really believe happened” even now.
But Atkins was still training with the Cats during the week and, having added strength and weight to his 180cm and 85kg frame this year, is now ready to mix it with the VFL’s biggest midfield bodies. As a result, he doesn’t need much direction from senior coach Shane O’Bree about what to do on game day.
“Shane’s just always encouraging me to hunt the ball and hunt the tackle as well,” Atkins said. “That’s sort of my main role.
“I feel a lot more comfortable around the ball because I’m not the type of player who’s that good at using the ball in space or running to a position to receive the ball. I’m probably more adept at just hunting the footy – I’m a bit of an instinct player.
“Tackling’s not a focus point for me, but I guess it has become a big part of my game. It’s just that if I’m around the footy, I’m trying to find the footy; if someone else finds it before me, I’ve got to tackle.”
With the seventh-placed Cats seemingly headed towards finals action, Atkins’ tackling philosophy might also apply to anyone trying to take his spot in the team.
Last Modified on 10/08/2016 23:56
