HISTORY is beckoning for Harry Sheezel. 

If the North Melbourne emerging superstar can win the Roos' best and fairest this year for the second time, he will break an almost 90-year competition drought.  

According to the AFL's history department, Collingwood's Des Fothergill is the only player in VFL/AFL history to have won two club best and fairests before turning 20 in 1937-38, a feat Sheezel, who doesn't turn 20 until the middle of October, is on track to equal.

North Melbourne will hold its event in September when Sheezel will still be 19 and the red-hot favourite to claim a second-straight Syd Barker Medal to start his career. 

Ruckman Tristan Xerri and gun midfielder Luke Davies-Uniacke loom as his biggest challengers but Sheezel's shift up the ground has unlocked more of his capabilities, with no coincidence between the move and North's better form in the second half of the season.

After being a clear winner of the Rising Star last year from half-back, the Roos stuck with the plan in the first seven rounds of this season. But a change in round eight has seen more of Sheezel's qualities come to the fore.

Since then, he has become a midfield and front-half gamechanger, the player North knew it was getting with pick No.3 at the 2022 draft before Alastair Clarkson saw Nick Daicos' debut season off half-back and sent his best ball user there for last year.

Between rounds eight and 19, Sheezel ranks second at North in AFL Player Ratings (15.9 on average), disposals (27.5) and uncontested disposals (16.6). He is first for groundball gets (8.5) and pressure acts (24.2). 

Across the League, his impact has been profound in that period – he is ranked top-20 in Player Ratings, disposals, groundball gets, uncontested possessions and pressure acts in that time. As a midfielder-forward, he rates elite in all five categories. 

One of those groundball wins was particularly incredible against Carlton powerhouse Patrick Cripps on Sunday, as Sheezel and the Brownow Medallist battled for the bouncing ball. Whilst holding off Cripps with one arm, Sheezel deliberately tapped the ball down to the ground so it would bounce back into his hands, saw off Cripps, stood up and shot a handball out to teammate Jy Simpkin. 

Sheezel has maintained his place as the League's No.1 ranked player for Champion Data's relative rating (rating compared to other players in their age and position). He rates 117 per cent above expectation of a 19-year-old in his role, putting him well ahead of the next best under the statistic: Izak Rankine (99 per cent), Max Homes (86 per cent), Errol Gulden (71 per cent) and Jack Sinclair (68 per cent).

Should he hold at that level for the remainder of the season, he will also reach unchartered territory. No player in the history of the relative ratings (since 2010) has rated more than 100 per cent better than their age and role before.

Rankine's 99 per cent rating this season would have him second best in the records, ahead of former Bulldog Luke Dahlhaus in 2011 (96 per cent), Hawthorn superstar Lance Franklin in 2012 (94 per cent) and West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui (92 per cent). 

Sheezel's two goals from 35 disposals against Carlton on Sunday lifted his total to 10 since round 11, reminding everyone of his goalkicking nous after compiling a draft campaign that saw him boot nearly 50 whilst also playing significant midfield time for the Sandringham Dragons and Vic Metro. 

The Daicos similarities are evident in the numbers, too.

Comparing Sheezel's second year with Daicos', when the Magpies marvel would likely have won the Brownlow Medal, AFL Coaches Association's Award and Collingwood's best and fairest if not for a late leg injury, the pair are tightly matched.

Daicos averaged more Player Ratings (15.4 to 14.7), disposals (31 to 29.4), uncontested possessions (18.4 to 18.3), metres gained (476 to 428), clearances (4 to 3) and score involvements (6.6 to 4.3). Sheezel is leading in contested possessions (9.1 to 9), groundball gets (7.3 to 7) and pressure points (47.7 to 40.8). An All-Australian guernsey surely awaits for Sheezel this year to continue to follow the Daicos direction of achievements. 

And if Sheezel does salute for the Roos' best and fairest then he might have Fothergill in his sights – Fothergill had three best and fairests before he turned 21.