THERE are times when David Zaharakis' mind occasionally drifts to next year, and how Essendon's team will look in 2017. But he only allows himself momentary glimpses into the future before returning his attention to the present.
"I want to focus on this year and still try to get a lot out of it. Next year, and what might happen then, is more in the back of my mind," Zaharakis told AFL.com.au.
"You want to appreciate the journey and the ride that we're on, and we have six weeks left to maybe develop even more. I haven't sat down and picked the team for next year."
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It would be an interesting exercise if he did, given Essendon's unprecedented circumstances this year and the list decisions that await in the next three months.
On one hand, the Bombers have unearthed a number of players this season thanks to extra exposure that might not have otherwise been there before the suspensions to 12 senior players for anti-doping breaches.
Darcy Parish has proven he will be a star midfielder, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti has been a running revelation, Michael Hartley has fitted in seamlessly in defence and Essendon's long wait for a quality small forward might have ended with the discovery of Orazio Fantasia.
But on the other side, the club is waiting to know what half of the banned group will do at the end of their suspensions.
Six have already re-signed or recommitted to returning to the club, while the rest, including Jobe Watson, Michael Hurley and Michael Hibberd, are weighing things up. It is an uncertainty that makes predicting next year difficult and full of questions.
Not that they're questions Zaharakis wants to ask too much. He keeps in regular contact with the players but feels asking them about their plans is uncomfortable.
"It's an awkward conversation to have because you don't want to push a player. You want to give them their space because I don't really know how they're feeling. I don't know what they went through because I wasn't a part of the whole thing," he said.
"I want to give them support rather than say straight out 'Hey mate, what are you doing?' because I don't really know how they're feeling. I can only ask so many questions and get how they're feeling, but you don't really know truly how they're feeling.
David Zaharakis and Dyson Heppell share their last win together in 2015. Picture: AFL Media
"I respect that some guys made the decision early and some guys will make the decision later, but I'm hoping they all come back and are ready to go next year."
The absence of Watson, Dyson Heppell, Brent Stanton and David Myers has made for a much more interesting year for Zaharakis, who has moved into a different midfield role that has seen him cop far more attention.
He was in probably career-best form for the first half of the year, averaging 28 disposals in the opening 10 rounds, before being shut out of a couple of recent games with tight tags. Zaharakis thinks he has had that close attention in half of his games this season, and admits it's a learning curve.
"It's the first year of my career that I've got that exposure to a tag, so I've been developing and learning through that," he said.
"Before this season I've maybe only been tagged once or twice, so it's a new experience to develop and work through. It's not something that will be perfect overnight but I'm working through it."
The Bombers have worked through a challenging year to be competitive in a number of games without being able to claim more than their one win, in round two against Melbourne.
Zaharakis didn't know what to expect of his team at the start of the year – it was full of players he hadn't played with before via the drafts and trade period and filled with players he'd played against via the 'top-up' group.
The 26-year-old has been encouraged by the feedback he's received from fans throughout the year commending the Bombers on their competitive efforts, but goes into Sunday's clash with the Brisbane Lions keen to secure a win to get off the bottom of the ladder. He is intent on not having a wooden spoon on his playing CV.
"At the start of the year people were saying we wouldn’t win a game, and then all of a sudden we won one. Then they were complaining that we didn't win another!" Zaharakis said.
"We're not aiming to finish on the bottom of the ladder, we want to win every game we play in. I certainly don't want to win the wooden spoon in my career playing footy and hopefully that doesn't happen in the next six weeks.
"I don't think any club goes into a game thinking they'll lose so you get the first draft pick – for your fans, your team and your club you need to build a winning culture and that definitely comes with winning."
