Simon Atkins

Simon Atkins (born 23 December 1968) is a former Australian rules football player who played with Footscray and Fitzroy Football Clubs in the Victorian (VFL) and Australian Football Leagues (AFL) from 1987 to 1996.

Nicknamed "The Axe", Atkins and his twin brother Paul were recruited from Wynyard Football Club in Tasmania and Atkins made his senior VFL debut in Round Two, 1987, against the Sydney Swans at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), gathering three possessions in a 108-point loss to Sydney.

After only three matches in 1987 and none in 1988, Atkins became a key player at Footscray in 1989, playing 21 matches before his best season in 1990, when Atkins topped the competition in handballs. In 2013 he will be an assistant coach for St Bernards Old Collegians in the Victorian Amateur Football Association.