In a senior midfield group that has clear and established depth, a cemented spot in the side has not been gifted to the Elijah Tsatas.

The challenge of earning those opportunities is holding him in good stead as he continues to hone his craft and learn the rigours of the AFL system leading into his third year.

“I've learnt heaps around my own game, my strengths and what I actually am as a footballer,” Tsatas said.

“That gives you good clarity, like going out on game day, knowing what you are, knowing your strengths and how good you can be.”

Those strengths were apparent in some standout VFL performances for Tsatas that held multiple 40-possession outings as an inside presence.

Gaining versatility by being tried in different roles as both a winger and even at times as a ‘run-with’ defensive midfielder, Tsatas is finishing his second season more aware of the areas that will hold his general game in strong touch.

“I think my first possession, extraction and clearance stuff have really improved and that's something that’s going to be a staple for my game,” Tsatas said.

“My power and getting out of stoppages isalso going to be a highlight for me, in breaking lines.”

Even though his experience at senior level was limited to seven games in 2024, it isn’t lost on Tsatas how much individual improvement can come from each chance at the senior level.

“Any footy is good footy. Senior footy is just a different beast,” Tsatas said.

“It's not like VFL. It's so much faster, so even if you only play as a sub and get on for a quarter, you still get massive gains from that every time.

“I was grateful and knew I was getting better for it.”

Moving forward, Tsatas is keen to continue his upward trajectory into another off-season, with the Bombers set for a November return to the training track ahead of season 2025.

Having witnessed other members in Essendon’s midfield group take strides forward in 2024, Tsatas is confident he can follow suit.

“Jye Caldwell is one that I've loved watching play, he's taken his game to another level this year around his clearance work,” Tsatas said.

“Sam Durham is also one of the other younger boys who really just ‘popped’ this year. Their ability to take the next step over one pre-season is something that I'm really looking to do this year.

“I’ll hopefully have a full summer on the track where the more sessions you do, the more training you do, the better you're going to get. (It’s about) getting my body into a spot where I can get the full workload out of the pre-season.”

While Tsatas knows that he wants to thrive at AFL level, his confidence has grown significantly from his VFL form, averaging 33 disposals per game from round 10 onwards.

A key focus has been playing a natural game and getting into a smooth rhythm, which Tsatas feels fuelled his improvement over the course of the campaign.

“One thing we talk about is flow state, so when you're not really thinking,” Tsatas said.

“It’s just you in the game and you're so present in the moment. Doing what you're doing, finding the ball, getting clearances, you walk off the ground and you can't really remember how many times you had it.

“Once I went back to the VFL after the bye, I got really clear on what I am as a player and playing as a midfielder primarily.

“Around round 15 or 16 in the AFL and VFL season is when it clicked for me. I started playing really good footy, getting my hands on the ball, and becoming confident in my own game.”

While individual growth was evident, the overall VFL team’s success was sure to follow, with Tsatas helping play an important role in a side that nobody wanted to face in the last eight rounds of the season.

Capping off the season on a strong winning streak, Tsatas was left impressed with the overall cohesion of the AFL-listed Dons who were contributing to the VFL surge.

“We had a good ruck-midfield combination going on with Nick Bryan and then Todd Goldstein as well.”

“We became a really good side by the end, I think it was just that a lot of boys started clicking with that connection. I also felt that we had good connections off the field as well.”

A year of development bore fruit in the form of a consistent second half of the season in the VFL, where his pure ball-winning ability shone through.

“It was sort of a disjointed year for me,” Tsatas said.

“(More so) with the first half my year being a little bit interrupted, there wasn’t much continuity as a sub and I wasn't quite where I wanted to be with my form.

“The second half (of 2024) was positive for me going back to the VFL and playing some good footy in my primary role of a midfielder.

“I feel like I've got heaps of confidence now in that space to be able to push next year for a midfield spot after a good block over the summer.”