Essendon great David Zaharakis aiming for Hawaiian Ironman as he prepares for world championships

David Zaharakis, former Essendon star and now an age-group competitor at the world triathlon championships, laughs at the question.

Does he dare to dream that in October next year he will race at the Hawaiian Ironman and be celebrating — at long last — the end of the Bombers’ notorious 21-year stretch without an AFL finals win?

“One might be more of a chance than the other, and I will let you work out which one,” Zaharakis told AAP.

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He was speaking from Marbella in Spain, where Zaharakis will race early on Monday morning (AEDT) in the 35-39 age group at the Ironman 70.3 world championships.

But his big goal comes next month. Zaharakis will try to qualify for Hawaii at the Ironman WA triathlon in Busselton, south of Perth.

The Hawaii Ironman world championships are triathlon’s pinnacle and he will need a massive race in Busselton to book his berth.

Former Essendon star David Zaharakis is now a keen age-group Ironman triathlete. Credit: AAP

Port Adelaide’s Michael Wilson and West Coast’s Beau Waters are other former AFL players who have raced at Kona, on Hawaii’s Big Island.

“I’d love to go sub-nine (hours) at Busselton — that’s an ambitious goal, it’s a big one,” Zaharakis said.

“I’m not saying I will, but it’s a goal.”

The Ironman is a 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km marathon run. The 70.3 format is half those distances.

A sub-nine race at Busselton would mean Zaharakis running the marathon in under three-and-a-half hours.

“Always when you speak to past players, they’re saying ‘what the hell are you doing – why are you doing this?’” Zaharakis said.

“I just love competing and I knew that I wasn’t finished competing when I finished playing footy.”

Zaharakis, 35, retired in 2021 after 226 games for Essendon.

In late 2022, friends suggested they start the new year with regular swimming as a fitness goal.

By January 10, 2023, Zaharakis was the only one left at the pool. Soon after — and he’s not quite sure how — that morphed to Ironman triathlon as a goal.

While his new passion has flourished, Zaharakis has carried the ongoing despair of all life-long Essendon fans.

Last month, when it looked like captain Zach Merrett might defect to Hawthorn, Zaharakis called the club a “rabble”.

But within days, there were renewed signs of life at Tullarmarine. Andrew Welsh became president, the Bombers stuck to their guns at the trade table and Merrett stayed.

Dean Solomon is now an assistant coach and Ted Richards has taken his place on the board. Welsh, Solomon and Richards are former players and all of their appointments have been well received.

“It takes time to move the needle and I appreciate the club has made some tough calls, particularly over the last two years, in terms of their (playing) list,” Zaharakis said.

“I am encouraged by the club’s position. I love the fact that Welshy’s president now, a former teammate of mine.

“The club’s in the right direction, in terms of having to re-set, not topping up … but that takes time.”

He acknowledged it will be “interesting” to watch how Merrett handles staying at the club.

“There will be some relationships you have to mend … the thing with Zach, everyone knows he’s the ultimate professional,” he said.

While he keeps close tabs on the game and his beloved Bombers, Zaharakis’s focus now is triathlon – and getting to Kona.

“I’d love, in 15 years’ time, for people to not just remember me as an AFL player. ‘You were a triathlete and an AFL player,’” is how he would like to be remembered.