Simon Atkins may only have had three possessions in his first AFL match on this day way back in 1987 but he made them all count to one degree or another.

The three disposals were all kicks, but he scored with each of them, kicking 2.1 on debut against Sydney in an otherwise forgettable day for the Bulldogs, which saw them lose by 107 points to Sydney at the SCG.

It is somewhat ironic that Atkins' three possessions that day were all kicks, because it was his scything handballs that were later to make him one of the most damaging players in the league, and add weight to his nickname - 'The Axe'.

Recruited from Wynyard in Tasmania, Atkins played only three games in his debut season and none the following year but when selected to play against Carlton in Round One of the 1989 season, he seized the chance with his lightning quick hands, playing all but one game of the season and averaging 23 disposals.

In 1990, Atkins really hit his straps under new coach Terry Wheeler as the Bulldogs rose from second last on the ladder to win 12 games and only narrowly miss out on finals action. Atkins dished off 291 handpasses in that season, more than anyone else in the AFL, and very few of them missed the mark.

Atkins' pinpoint handballs out of congestion in the centre to a teammate in a more attacking position were a key part of the Bulldogs' resurgence under Wheeler, which saw Footscray make a Preliminary Final in 1992 and finals again in 1994. 

Atkins later played two seasons with Fitzroy and 80 matches for Werribee in the VFL but it is for his midfield dominance across eight seasons and 127 matches with the Bulldogs that 'The Axe' will best be remembered.