The past decade has been characterised by hope and heartbreak for Essendon.
The drug scandal meant Bomber teams of the early part of the decade never reached their full potential and the club was forced into a brief period of irrelevance in 2016.
The post-saga world for the Bombers has been filled with inconsistency and false hope, currently holding the longest winless finals record in the competition.
Throughout this turmoil, there have been 10 standouts that have stood the test of time.
Here are Essendon's top 10 players of the decade:ย
David Zaharakis
David Zaharakis has been a prominent member of every Essendon season since 2009.
The former Vic Metro prospect grew up a fan of the Bombers and was able to live out a boyhood dream with his first goal in football, winning the game against Collingwood on Anzac Day 2009.
Since then, Zaharakis has consistently been a good outside player in the Bombers midfield for many years, racking up touches and gaining plenty of territory as he drives the Dons forward from the wings.
He won the club best and fairest in 2011 and has since consistently averaged over 20 disposals per game each season since.
Zaharakis's Anzac Day heroics once again occurred in 2013 where he was awarded the Anzac Day medal for a 34-disposal, 4 goal performance.
With 207 games under his belt, his decision making continues to be top class as he leads the Bombers towards September action in 2019.
