Atkins returned to the Goulburn Valley Football League and made his 200th senior appearance for the Bombers in Saturday night’s win against Euroa.

‘‘I had a really good feeling winning with Nathalia, but the first thing I thought is I wanted to do it with my home club,’’ Atkins said.

‘‘Nathalia was a wonderful club, one of the best I’ve played at, and it was kind of hard to leave there, but one of my good mates from Ky came back as well.

‘‘I went to Nathalia last year thinking that might be it for me, but I had a really good season injury-wise and the body felt really good, so I thought that I could come back. It means everything.’’

However, it was not that simple.

Atkins took time off to travel in the off-season and it took it’s toll.

‘‘I was actually training pretty hard, then my back just went on me, too many flights and what have you. I spent probably two weeks on my back when I got home from overseas and I couldn’t walk and I took a pretty cautious approach.’’

In the end, the timing was ideal.

Atkins kicked a goal and celebrated a big win in front of his home crowd.

Not for the first time, Atkins also got to play his milestone game alongside teammate Josh Vick, who made his 150th appearance for the Bombers.

‘‘We played my 150th and his 100th together,’’ Atkins said.

‘‘I don’t know how the hell that worked out, we must have missed a game here and there, he played in Perth last year and I was at Nathalia.’’

Bombers coach David Williams hailed ‘‘two great clubmen’’.

‘‘They’re just guys that are great players, great characters and great clubmen. They’re just good ambassadors to our club and they do what’s good for the club,’’ Williams said.

He said it was great to have Atkins back home and the club would do ‘‘whatever we can’’ to get Vick back full-time.