Rory Atkins has been impressed by the standards set by a young Port Adelaide group throughout pre-season so far, with the new recruit feeling welcomed since day one. 

The 30-year-old was the fastest AFL-listed player in the club’s recent time trial, highlighting his preparation and willingness to compete. 

Atkins spoke to the Adelaide media on Monday about the intensity of pre-season, being back in Adelaide with family, and how he’s got plenty of good football left to play.  

Atkins on pre-season 
“Pre-season has been solid, as you saw today, it’s very hot out there but the boys are up for it and training really well. And got one more session to get before we knock off for Chrissie. So we’re digging in and, yeah, everyone looks raring to go. 

“There is a solid intensity to it. But look, I've done enough pre-seasons now where they all start to morph into one now, no matter where you are, everyone's training hard now. So it was solid today, given the heat. Goldy (Gold Coast) throws up its different challenges with the humidity and stuff. But yeah, we're all training really hard at the minute.” 

Atkins on being back in Adelaide 
“Oh it's great. Yeah, as you saw, I have the little one here with my partner’s side of the family. They're all here, so it's great to be able to have that support. It's already been great just settling in, getting the chop out wherever we need with the little one, Daisy. So Georgia and I went and saw a movie for the first time in 12 months together Saturday night. So it's great to be able to do stuff like that together.” 

Atkins on the trade from Gold Coast to Port Adelaide 
“Yeah, late in the trade period (it became an option). So I went away while the trade period was on, got a call from a manager saying, what are your thoughts on going to play at Port? So the Gold Coast did a great job in getting me here, because that's what I wanted to do. I still think I got a lot of great footy to play at the level. So when this opportunity arose and Port were interested, I jumped at it with both hands and yeah, ready to get after it with this exciting group.” 

Atkins on what attracted him to Port Adelaide 
“Well, the standard that the boys set, so they played in prelim last year. They’ve got a young, exciting group, and I'm just looking forward to getting in and seeing everyone give it a shake as well. I think I've still got a lot of good footy to play at the level. And if everything goes the way I want it to, I can hopefully slip in and, yeah, play some good footy with the boys here and do whatever I can to be a part of this group going where they want to go.” 

Atkins on his perception of the club before coming cross 
“Oh, for sure (they’re in the window), especially with where that midfield group’s at at the minute, I don't think there's one over the age of 25 so they're in the window and obviously in a position to contend for a number of years. So when I saw this opportunity come up, yeah, I just jumped at it with both hands, because I feel like I can play a part, and for a number of years as well, not just one year.” 

Atkins on his conversations with Jack Lukosius before the trade happened  
“Well, I always thought Jack was going to get here, and then when the opportunity got proposed to me, I started talking to him like, are you 100% coming? Is this really going to happen? And I think I'm in mate. I think we're doing it. So it's great to come over here with a mate, but it probably wouldn't have made it anyway, because the guys have been great, very welcoming. And footy clubs are great like that. Once you here, you're here, and I see myself as a Port Adelaide player, and the guys have been very welcoming.” 

Atkins on feeling like a Port Adelaide player 
“Oh, mate, straight away, like, I got here about three weeks before pre-season started, and already coming in, the guys were training here, getting after their work, and I made sure I got down and got in early to get to know a lot of the guys. There are a few guys that I crossed paths with, like I got drafted in same year as Ollie Wines did and I’ve played a lot of footy in Adelaide as you know. So yeah, they’ve been very welcoming.” 

Atkins on what his Crows mates have said about the move 
“They think it's funny, nobody really cared, but they said, we'll see you out there! So, yeah, they're all good. They're just happy that I got what I wanted. Because I've still got a few close mates there, so they were just happy that I got what I wanted, which was to come back here and give myself another shot of playing AFL footy.” 

Atkins on Jack Lukosius as a footballer 
“Oh, Jack's a very dynamic forward, as you see with the forward line that we've got now, with Charlie gone, probably not going to be as much long kicking. We're going to play an exciting brand of footy and play really quick, I think. So Jack's going to slot in there nicely with his ball use. And, yeah, he's going to surprise lot of people this year I think.” 

Atkins on the cross-town rivalry 
“I've still got a lot of close mates there, but I'm a Port Adelaide player now. And look, people ask about the rivalry, but like, I've wanted this, so I get the privilege to deal with it. So that's the thing, this is what we sign up for. And look, I can't wait, whether it's for me, against me, whatever, noise is noise, I can't wait. It's going to be exciting, and it just adds to the theatre. So I can't wait.” 

Atkins on the outside noise about his move 
“As I said, I mentioned about the crowd noise…it's a privilege to have people actually care about something that I'm involved in. Like, when you actually think about it, people care that much about something that I'm a part of. So I see that as a privilege. It's what we sign up for. I'm still getting to play footy at the age of 30 now, and hopefully for a fair few more years now, and I hope to contribute to this group, because I still think I've got a lot of good footy to play, and good footy ahead of me. So comments like that, it's water off a duck’s back, because all that I can do now is prove people wrong, because the expectations are low (externally) it seems.” 

Atkins on the media attention in Adelaide 
“I thought that when I got off the plane and I'm like, I wonder if it's still like that? And then there was a big fat camera in my face. I didn't get that on the Gold Coast, but it's good. On the Goldy there's not as much of this. But as I said, People care about something that we’re involved in. So it's a privilege to be in this position, to be able to play footy for a job, and also see people be so passionate about what we're doing.” 

Atkins on winning the time trial 
“That's a that's a bit of a typo, (train-on player) Jack Watkins actually won the time trial, so he's training on with us. He's flying, so he's putting his best foot forward to get a list spot here. He actually won it, but I ran well. Somebody in my position, I've got one year to go and as you said, it seems like expectations are low externally. I don't think they are internally, but that's the noise. So look, I've got one year to make this my own and go from there. So I'm not of the picture that it's here to be one and done. I'm here for here for a few and to get this thing rolling in the right direction, because I feel like I've still got a lot of footy to play. I just wanted to come in and set the right impression. I learned from my time at the Gold Coast and coming into a club, a new club, and the condition you’ve got to report in and stuff like that. So I just hit the ground running.” 

Atkins on what the coaches have said to him through pre-season 
“Yeah look, I’ve obviously played a lot of footy. Just bring some leadership out there. We've still got a young group. I come in playing the sixth most amount of games, so still played a fair bit of footy at the level. So I'm 30 now and they know how I play, so just do that as well as I can. So whether that be on a flank, half forward, half back or on the wing. I’m obviously mostly fit so I’ll use that to the best of my ability and use the ball well. So just play to my strengths, because at this stage, I can improve little bits and pieces, but I'm the player I am now, so we'll still look to improve little bits of my game.” 

Atkins on the young players that have impressed him 
“Out of the draftees, Joe Berry, I really like the way he goes about it, he’s lightning quick and it seems like his repeat efforts, he can go all day. And then the two boys in the middle, Connor and Zak, haven't played a lot against them in the last couple years, but watched them on the telly, trying to work out how they get so much of the ball, and it's evident out there now. They're just so dynamic, so quick, so agile, and they work together well. So I've been very impressed with what those two guys can do.”