Rory Atkins - When in full flight, Atkins is a joy to watch. He has that uncanny ability to wrong foot the opposition and charge through defensive lines, often impacting on the scoreboard. His attacking game is also enhanced with strong overhead marking skills which makes him versatile enough to act as a dangerous forward when relieved of midfield duties. At the draft combine, he finished equal first in the kicking test and in doing so, illiustrated his credentials as a proficient dual-sided kick, and playing for Calder, registered a repectable 62% overall kicking efficiency. Atkins capped off the season winning Calder's b&f and his strong finish to the season propelled him back into draft calculations - probably not a moment too soon considering his indifferent form at various stages in the season.
Perhaps the biggest wake-up call for Rory would have been his axing from the AIS and then being left out of the Vic Metro team for the majority of the tournament. To his credit, he bounced back strongly in the TAC Cup with a 37 possession game against Sandringham, and continued that form over a 5 week stretch that saw him chalk up another 3 BOG's.
Given his wildly fluctuating form, one wonders whether Atkins main problems lie somewhere between the ears. When he's full of confidence and flying, he looks every bit an AFL footballer. He's a good decision maker, he's got a bit of swagger about him and he's street smart in a footballing sense. Unfortunately, when he's down, he can look disinterested and apathetic, and perhaps more concerning, completely void of any sort of defensive intensity.
Ensuring that he's giving 100% each and every game will be the litmus test for any team that recruits him and there will need to be a strong emphasis placed on his workrate, particularly if he's struggling for form. His 20 metre sprint times also appear to be on the low side which worries me a for a player who relies heavily on sidestepping the opposition and streaming forward.
So where does that place him with pick 32, 34 & 43? I think he's still a fair way behind the likes of Nick Graham who I believe might still be on board, and if we're going best available, I think Atkins might be pushed even further down the order. At pick 43, maybe, but that would be contingent on some others being unavailable.
