REMEMBER the Tom Atkins that banged the door down for his spot on an AFL list?

Playing for Geelong's VFL side as a 22-year-old back in 2018, Atkins was named captain of the club's reserves team and dominated through his relentless physicality to eventually earn his place on the senior list later that year.

That version of Atkins, who used his VFL springboard to seize his AFL chance, is the version of Atkins that has now been unleashed in the back half of this season to become a key player in Geelong's journey towards the Grand Final.

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Having been used as a pressure forward in his first two years under Chris Scott, after arriving at the club as a mature-aged rookie, Atkins then spent 2021 and the first part of this year playing mainly as a lockdown small defender.

However, injuries – combined with the club's decision to conservatively manage superstars like Patrick Dangerfield and Joel Selwood through the season – handed Atkins the opportunity to finally make the midfield move.

Now, he's replicating his midfield form of his last VFL season. But, four years on, he's doing it under the bright lights of the AFL and will remarkably do so again in a Grand Final on Saturday afternoon.

Atkins averaged 21.8 disposals and 9.4 tackles per game in that 2018 VFL season. His 188 tackles across the course of the campaign now ranks as the third-most in the League's history. He also finished top 10 for contested possessions and clearances.

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Since moving into the midfield at AFL level with Geelong in the second half of this season, Champion Data notes Atkins ranks third for tackles (averaging eight per game) and third for pressure points (69.4 per game). He's back to his rugged, physical best.

"It does feel surreal," Atkins told AFL.com.au this week.

"The fact I'm in a Grand Final, in such a great team, I feel very fortunate. I've only got the people who helped me to thank for that, really. It's not like this just happened overnight. It's been a long process to be able to contribute at the level that we are."

So, who is to thank for Atkins' midfield move? According to the 27-year-old, it was the brainchild of assistant coaches James Kelly and Shaun Grigg. Both worked closely with Atkins throughout the season to engineer the move.

"It was about round nine, after the St Kilda game. Through injury, we had a few key players out of the midfield, and we've got a lot of really strong defenders. I think our defensive group is probably our deepest section," Atkins said.

"I was just asked to come up and help out and I was able to do that. It was 'Kel' and 'Grigga' that had the idea. I've loved playing for both of them, so I'm just really fortunate to be in this position."

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Geelong's success in recruiting locally has provided the club with the backbone of its success recently, with Atkins just another example of that. But its opponents on Grand Final day, Sydney, has a few Geelong prospects of its own.

One of them, Paddy McCartin, is known well to Atkins. The two are long-time childhood friends and grew up spending their afternoons playing at each other's houses. They'll meet on Saturday after their own incredible journeys to the game's biggest stage.

"We just grew up together," Atkins said.

"We both played Joeys juniors and our parents are really great mates. We'd spent countless nights at each other's houses as kids. We're really close mates and I'm so stoked for him. It was great to watch them make it on the weekend, him and Tommy as well."

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The two have already shared texts this week about the prospect of meeting on Grand Final day. But don't expect much banter in the days leading up to the game. There is too much mutual respect for that.

"Absolutely, yeah. I've spoken to him already," Atkins laughed.

"There's none of that banter, we're both just really happy for each other. It just feels a bit surreal that the two of us are going to be running out against each other. I didn't say much. I just said, 'Good job mate' and that it was bloody unreal. I'm stoked for him."