Atkins win lifts draft prospects
CONTESTED king Tom Atkins has beefed up his draft credentials after taking out Geelong’s VFL best-andfairest last night.
The St Joseph’s midfielder capped a breakout season with 389 votes, edging out precount favourite Tom Stewart by four votes in a thrilling count at Simonds Stadium last night.
It was a local-leagues trifecta, with tough Grovedale midfielder James Tsitas (351) finishing third in his first season at the Cats since crossing from North Ballarat.
There is heightened interest in Geelong’s VFL best-andfairest this year following the instant AFL success of Tom Ruggles, who won the award in a landslide last year, earned a rookie list spot at the Cats and went on to play 18 AFL games.
“Tom Atkins has become an integral part of the VFL midfield now, and also across half back, and really took a step up with his commitment and professionalism to training over the summer and reaped the benefits,” VFL football manager Troy Selwood said.
“Whether there’s (draft) interest or not, we’ll have to wait and see. He played as an inside mid for a long time and he was able to match it against some AFL players and did a fantastic job.
“But I guess we’re not quite sure where that will lead in terms of the draft.”
Michael Luxford was the only AFL-listed player to finish inside the top seven as South Barwon’s Will Sexton, Colac’s Sam McLachlan and St Joseph’s Alex Hickey polled well for providing the pillar of stability to a team dealing with a revolving door of AFL players.
AFL-listed midfielder George Horlin-Smith, who finished runner-up in the VFL’s Liston Medal, came ninth despite playing only 12 matches.
The result underlines Atkins’s consistent season, which had been bumped into the shade following Stewart and McLachlan’s invitations to the State Draft Combine.
Not only is Atkins a ball winner, he is one of the best tacklers in the side.
“We’re rapt with all the local guys,” Selwood said. “We also need to thank the local clubs who helped with their development. We don’t just do it alone.”