Have we just witnessed what the future of the Essendon forward line will look like?

Over the weekend, the Bombers unveiled two of their emerging stars in the same team: Nate Caddy and Isaac Kako.

The young duo, who played together at Parade College during their under-aged years, reunited at the Hangar after Kako was taken with Pick 13 in last year's draft.

In every great side's forward cohort, there is an elite one-two punch. A Tom and Jerry. A Batman and Robin.

As history shows, clubs need a pair of budding goalkicking stars that work in tandem with one another, and it's usually been a tall and a small, especially in recent times.

Hawthorn had two of the most dynamic duos this century, boasting Lance Franklin and Cyril Rioli in the same lineup.

Carlton embraced the unique skillset of Brendan Fevola and Eddie Betts while in St Kilda's purple-patch years, Nick Riewoldt and Stephen Milne would terrorise the opposition.

Going back another era, Melbourne's David Neitz and Jeff Farmer would combine seamlessly in the front half.

Could Caddy and Kako do the same?

The Bombers have been crying out for a genuine star inside their forward 50.

They missed out on Joe Daniher's brilliance after he departed for Brisbane, securing a premiership before his early retirement.

Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti showcased his immense talent but not for an extended period, leaving Essendon fans wanting more.

Jake Stringer showed glimpses before being moved onto GWS while Peter Wright has yet to claim the "star" mantle in the AFL.

Matthew Lloyd was the club's last genuine forward superstar, slotting 926 goals in his illustrious career.

On Saturday against the Western Bulldogs, Kako firmed as an Opening Round debutant after displaying his lively and energetic game style, both with and without the ball.

Fans witnessed the youngster's manic pressure, leading to multiple tackles inside forward 50 as well as a crafty snap from the NGA graduate.

Not long after Kako's brilliance, Caddy joined the party, slotting a major from 55 metres out after the half-time siren.

The 19-year-old debuted in the 2024 Dreamtime at the 'G clash against Richmond and featured another nine times under Brad Scott as a first-picked forward.

Caddy has declared his impatience to be one of the competition's best talls, saying there shouldn't be any limitations on him just because his young.

"A lot of people say I'm young and should be patient," Caddy said last week on Channel 7.

"But I'd rather get good now and fast-track my progress.

"I really pushed myself this pre-season to get fitter and see where I can get to in my second year.

"I get competitive with some of the players that had a better year than me in my draft year so I'll see where I stack up against the rest."

Essendon assistant coach Daniel Giansiracusa couldn't wipe the smile off his face following the pair's performance on Saturday.

"They're good mates those two and they're going to look for each other over the years to come," Giansiracusa said.

"He (Kako) makes the opposition worry about him and we want a forward line that has multiple guys like that.

"He's busy, he puts pressure on, he'll get his opportunities from a scoring point of view but as long as he keeps bringing that pressure."

It has been well documented that Essendon continues to fall well short of meeting the expectations thrust upon them, making six finals series in the past two decades.

Amid that disastrous record from the powerhouse club, as the days continue to tick over, Bombers fans have been starved of any success in September, dating back to the 2004 elimination final against Melbourne.

But as the sun rises and a new era has dawned upon the Tullamarine club, the sheer excitement surrounding Caddy and Kako has buoyed the club, leaving the impression that anything is possible.