Rory Atkins revealed he dropped 6kg in the Darwin heat in Adelaide’s win over Melbourne

Rory Atkins lost 6kg in Darwin on Saturday night but the heat was also on at half-time as more details emerge of the meeting that could have saved Adelaide’s season.

Rory Atkins covers anywhere from 14-15km per game playing on the wing for the Crows. Picture: David Mariuz (AAP).

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Crows wingman Rory Atkins says he lost 6kg in Saturday night’s win over Melbourne as more details emerge of the half-time meeting that potentially saved Adelaide’s season.

Post-game key defender Daniel Talia revealed there were some “tough conversations” in the rooms at half-time in Darwin.

“We were getting smashed in the contest and the midfield was getting outworked,” Talia said.

“We just needed a lift from all areas so it was great that the players drove that and certainly after half-time we were able to wrestle back control.”

Rory Atkins, right, belts out the team song with Adelaide players on Saturday. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

On Monday Atkins told The Lowdown Podcast what sparked the urgency to kick five goals to one in the final term as the Crows won by two points in the Top End.

“I wouldn’t say it was hard hitting but we addressed that it could end up being the biggest half in our season,” Atkins said.

“Going under .500 is not good at this stage of the year, two solid weeks of footy coming up sitting 6-5 in an ideal world we win both of them but if we can go into the bye having won at least one it’s not a bad return.”

Atkins says he lost about 6kg playing in the 27C heat against the Demons.

“It’s taxing with the humidity and stuff, I lost 6kg from the game, I weighed in at 86kg before the game and jumped on at the end and was 80kg, it takes it out of you, I remember getting home and crashing straight away,” he said.

Playing on the wing, Atkins says he would cover 14-15km per game which is a long way from his teenage days when there were questions over his workrate.

“As an 18-year-old I don’t think you actually know what that (workrate) is until you come up against it or see what it is at the top level, which is what I struggled with,” Atkins said.

“I wasn’t that fit, but playing in the midfield I relied on skill and spent four years getting my fitness up to a level where I see myself now being able to compete on the wing and use my aerobic capacity to get the football.”

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