Rory Atkins grew up 10km from the MCG and on Saturday runs onto the hallowed turf in a Grand Final
THE first time Rory Atkins went to the footy he was two weeks old and still in a bassinet.
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THE first time Rory Atkins went to the footy he was two weeks old and still in a bassinet.
It was at Maribyrnong Park, home of the mighty Lions in suburban Melbourne, and where Atkins’ family was so heavily involved he never really had an AFL team growing up, even though the MCG was just 10km down the road.
If only they knew that 23 years later that’s exactly where Atkins would be, playing for the Adelaide Crows in an AFL Grand Final.
“You don’t think it will ever happen and all of a sudden here it is, it’s full on,” his dad Ken said.
“I’ve coached for 20 years (at the club) and he (Atkins) was always there, from the time he was born.
“(His mum) was the time keeper, my daughter was running the boundary, I was coaching and Rory was in the time keeper’s box in a bassinet.
“But he was never pushed to play footy, in fact the first team he ever joined was Essendon Royal Soccer Club.
“Then I brought him back to Marby after he played and the boys had had a win, they were all locked arms and singing the song and he said ‘I don’t want to play soccer anymore, I want to play footy’.
“I said ‘it’s up to you’ and the next week he was playing footy, that’s when he was about 11.”
Atkins played all his juniors and even some senior footy at Marby Park, from under-12s through to the A Grade at just 16 when he was in the same team as a bloke named Wayne Carey.
Former club president Stuart Donnelly said the cheeky youngster had a bit of x-factor on the field.
“As a 14-year-old he was an unbelievable mark, he used to take hangers, from early days you could see he had some ability,” Donnelly said.
“He was very relaxed, laid back, never took things too seriously, but he was very switched on when he played his sport.
“Then he went into the Calder Cannons, Vic Metro under-16s and on he went.”
Atkins was part of the AFL-AIS Academy and then drafted by the Crows with Pick No.81 in 2012 but took a while to develop.
He didn’t play an AFL game until 2015 but has played 24 in each of the past two seasons and on Saturday will line up against Richmond in the Grand Final.
“Absolutely the footy club is proud of him, he’s well respected and because he was here for a period of time he still catches up with the kids he played footy with when he comes home,” Donnelly said.
“He’s not home much but when he is, he’s poking around, has a meal with the seniors.
“There will obviously be people watching and hoping for the best for him and his family, Kenny and Karen his mum and dad and sister, once you know these guys and what they go through it’s fantastic.”
Atkins isn’t the only player from Maribyrnong Park to graduate to the big league with five former Lions currently on an AFL list along with Lynden Dunn at Collingwood, Touk Miller at Gold Coast, Luke Ryan at Fremantle and Joel Smith at Melbourne.
Ken said he followed Carlton before Rory was drafted but now he’s Adelaide “through and through”.
“I don’t know how you could barrack for any other team once your son is playing,” he said.
“I wish the game was this afternoon and we could go and get it done now, it’s an anxious wait so we’ve just got to take our time and build up to it.”
reece.homfray@news.com.au