David Zaharakis

David Zaharakis
Personal information
Full name	David Zaharakis
Date of birth	21 February 1990 (1990-02-21) (age 21)
Place of birth	Melbourne, Victoria
Original team	Northern Knights
Draft	2008: Pick 23 (Essendon)
Height/Weight	182 cm / 72 kg
Position(s)	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Essendon
Number	11
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
2009–	Essendon	53 (57)
1 Playing statistics to end of the 2011 season .
Career highlights
W.S. Crichton Medal 2011

David Zaharakis (born 21 February 1990) is an Australian rules footballer for Essendon in the Australian Football League who is of Greek heritage.

Career

Zaharakis was selected by Essendon, the team he supported all his life,^[1] with their second (23rd overall) pick in the 2008 AFL Draft. He had previously been playing with the Northern Knights in the TAC Cup and was captain in 2008. He finished Year 12 in the same year at Marcellin College where he also won the Terrance Cleary Memorial Sporting Award for sportsmanship and sporting excellence.^[2]

Zaharakis was awarded Essendon's number 11 guernsey which was previously worn by Damien Peverill and has been his number throughout most of his junior career.^[3] Zaharakis kicked his first goal for Essendon in the final seconds of the 2009 Anzac Day match to beat Collingwood by five points.^[4]

He played 10 games in his debut season and 20 in 2010. His 2011 season has been his most consistent and impressive season to date. He capped off the year by winning his first Crichton Medal as Essendon's best & fairest player.^[5]

Zaharakis played his junior football with Eltham Junior Football Club. He is also a soccer fan and supports Melbourne Victory and Manchester United. Zaharakis is also a talented basketballer, earning Australian Marist V honours in 2007.^{[citation needed]}

Career highlights

2011

• W. S. Crichton Medal - Winner (332 votes)

2009

• AFL Rising Star nomination, Round 2^[6]

2008

• All-Australian U18
• Co-Captain of Vic Metro U18
• Vic Metro U18
• Captain of Northern Knights U18

External links

• David Zaharakis' official player profile on essendonfc.com.au

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Jobe Watson	Essendon Best and Fairest Winner 2011	Succeeded by Incumbent

Footnotes

1. ^ "Malthouse fumes". www.abc.net.au/news Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2009-04-26. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/26/2552760.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-27. 
2. ^ Merry, Mark (13 November 2008). "Year 12 Valedictory Awards". Marcellin College. http://mconline.marcellin.vic.edu.au/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=1410. Retrieved 13 December 2008. 
3. ^ "Lonergan to wear Johnson guernsey". EssendonFC.com.au. 11 December 2008. http://essendonfc.com.au/news/news.asp?nid=6214. Retrieved 12 December 2008. 
4. ^ The Age Dream result for lifetime Dons fan
5. ^ "Zaharakis wins first Crichton Medal". Essendon Football Club. 7 October 2011. http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/a/Zaharakis-wins-first-Crichton-Medal/8630. Retrieved 7 October 2011. 
6. ^ http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/74506/default.aspx

Persondata
Name	Zaharakis, David
Alternative names
Short description	Australian rules footballer
Date of birth	21 February 1990
Place of birth	Melbourne, Australia
Date of death
Place of death