David Zaharakis 22, is an Australian rules footballer of Greek heritage who plays for Essendon in the AFL. Neos Kosmos took the opportunity to interview David as part of the Multicultural round of AFL football next week.
David is a second generation Greek Australian. His father migrated to Australia from Siatista Kozani in the ’60s.
“Dad came over here and married mum who was a Queenslander, but dad quickly became used to and played Aussie rules in his younger years,” he said.
Zaharakis played his junior football with Eltham Junior Football Club but he also had another passion in basketball which he competed in for almost 12 years since the age of five. A talented basketballer, he earned the Australian Marist V honours in 2007. He finished Year 12 in the same year at Marcellin College where he also won the Terrence Cleary Memorial Sporting Award for sportsmanship and sporting excellence.
Although he never had the desire to play any other code of football, Zaharakis is also a soccer fan and follows Melbourne Victory and Manchester United. I asked David why he chose Aussie Rules in front of basketball.
“When I was 16 I realized that it was harder to make it in basketball as it required travel to the US and then nothing was guaranteed, so I chose to further my footy career and I was eventually lucky to get the opportunity to go to a side that I supported all my life, Essendon.”
Zaharakis was selected by the Bombers with their second (23rd overall) pick in the 2008 AFL Draft. He was fortunate as he had attracted interest from interstate clubs who had selections around this pick. He previously captained the Northern Knights in the 2008 TAC Cup and was awarded Essendon’s number 11 guernsey which was previously worn by Damien Peverill and this has been his number throughout most of his junior years.
Zaharakis played his first game on the biggest arena in Australia, the MCG in arguably the biggest match of the year: the Anzac day block buster Essendon versus the Magpies. In front of 90K people he became an instant hero, kicking his first goal for Essendon in the final seconds of the match to beat Collingwood by five points. From that moment on, everyone in footy knew about David Zaharakis.
“Never in my life did I ever imagine I would of had that impact on that game, it was a dream come true and I got great support from my family. My Greek Grandparents loved to hear my name on the radio and followed my every game, they were very proud of me.”
Zaharakis’ 2011 season was his most consistent and impressive year so far, winning Essendon’s best and fairest player, the Crichton Medal.
As for the future, David Zaharakis has a passion to win a Premiership with Essendon. His childhood Greek-Australian AFL idol was Anthony Koutoufides and David already has aspirations to be better and who knows, maybe win a Brownlow medal along the way as well!