Tom Atkins was one of the more important roleplayers in Geelong's long-awaited flag run in 2022, but his transition into A-rotation midfielder this year has been less than impressive. Perhaps he has not been fully match-fit all year, maybe it is just that he is concentrating on defensive midfield jobs rather than flashy stuff with ball in hand. With Patrick Dangerfield likely to retire or take a lesser role next year, it's Atkins' time to step up to become a consistent A-grader to befit his status at the club. Maybe a better preseason will unlock his best game in 2025.
Tom Atkins was one of the more important roleplayers in Geelong's long-awaited flag run in 2022, but his transition into A-rotation midfielder this year has been less than impressive. Perhaps he has not been fully match-fit all year, maybe it is just that he is concentrating on defensive midfield jobs rather than flashy stuff with ball in hand. With Patrick Dangerfield likely to retire or take a lesser role next year, it's Atkins' time to step up to become a consistent A-grader to befit his status at the club. Maybe a better preseason will unlock his best game in 2025.
Tom Atkins has moved from half back to midfield in recent weeks, putting up a few nice scores without setting any houses on fire. That has been a nice little bonus for those who picked him up off the free agent pool in draft leagues, but is there any long-term implication for his current role change? The answer is probably not, as he is essentially replacing Patrick Dangerfield in that role, and not doing nearly as good a job of it. Once Danger returns it will be off to the back line once again for Atkins, where he is a handy if unassuming defender.
Scraps diet for Atkins
Years of consistent VFL displays finally paved the way for Tom Atkins to strut his stuff in the big leagues, sliding perfectly into the Cats' mid-forward rotations. The strong-bodied tackling machine showed glimpses of fantasy potential with a pair of 11-tackle, 90+ games, although he didn't do much else to garner real interest. Despite playing most matches, Atkins remains a fringe player with question marks over his job security. The team-first role that he plays doesn't correlate to fantasy points either, so it's best to look elsewhere.
Atkins loves red meat
Geelong only took one player from the rookie draft, bringing up Tom Atkins from their reserves side. Atkins was named in the VFL Cats’ best players on 13 occasions, averaging 22 touches and nine tackles per game, and won their best & fairest. Atkins will continue to listen and learn in his first year on the Cats’ senior list. He won’t start in the best 22, and will need everything to go his way if he wants to lace on the boots for Chris Scott’s best side. Don’t worry too much about Atkins in the draft and simply leave him undrafted.
