Essendon has a gazelle in its ranks.
Or, at least, that's the way Zach Reid's teammates describe him.
The Bombers defender played just nine games in his first four seasons on the club's list, but he's proving worth the wait. An assured presence down back, Reid has helped revitalise a backline group that has inspired five wins from six matches.
The 202cm stopper enjoyed perhaps the best game of his young career on Saturday, helping Essendon cling to a thrilling eight-point win against Sydney with 27 disposals, 14 marks, five intercept marks, eight intercept possessions and seven spoils.
For his more senior Bombers defensive teammate, Ben McKay, the performance was a reflection of Reid's growth and improvement this season and the special tools he possesses in his kit bag.
"It's his balance," McKay told AFL.com.au after Saturday's win.
"His craft is really good and that's only going to get better and better. But his decision making, aerially and by foot, is something that really catches my eye. He's not afraid to take it on. He's an effortless kick, you watch him and he's like a gazelle.
"His decisions to come forward and impact and also to ground his man and get that tucked away … I think his decision making and aerially is probably something that we're all very impressed by."
For the young Reid, the third of Essendon's trio of top 10 picks from the 2020 draft pool, this season's run of form has been a long time coming and something that many Bombers supporters might have felt would never materialise.
Reid dealt with back, foot, hamstring and pec injuries across his first four years in the AFL system, as well as a nasty bout of glandular fever. It restricted him to just one game in 2021, seven in 2022, none in 2023 and one in 2024.
But, finally able to string a series of games together, Reid has formed a formidable partnership with McKay and is delivering on the potential that made him a first-round pick out of the Gippsland Power.
"It's amazing," McKay said.
"He must have been on the list for four or five years now and he'd be forgiven for being rusty and learning the caper, but he's so impressive. He's such a cool, calm and collected guy off the field and I think that really shows on the field.
"He rarely gets flustered, he puts himself in great positions and it's a been a real privilege to play alongside him. Hopefully, we can form a dynamic duo for the next seven, eight, nine, 10 years. I love playing with him.
"He's been amazing all year, to be honest. We're lucky to have him."
Reid and McKay's performances on Saturday helped thwart Sydney's impotent attack, with the Swans kicking just eight goals despite amassing a whopping 61 inside-50 entries at Marvel Stadium.
The victory was Essendon's fifth from its last six matches, and its most impressive scalp yet, helping Brad Scott's side move its win-loss ledger to 5-3 and to within just a few percentage points from a top eight spot.
However, despite the consistent run of form – which has included three consecutive victories recorded by a single-digit margin – the Bombers are steadfast that expectations at the club haven't changed.
"I don't think so," McKay said.
"We've got so much work to do. It's cliché, but win-loss these days probably doesn't matter as much as it once did. We see every week, there's up and downs and you can't really predict this game.
"You guys in the media would be having a tough time, because it's so unpredictable. It makes these games all the more enjoyable to play, because you can never take the foot off the gas. We're probably learning that lesson at the moment. When we do take the foot off the gas a bit, we shoot ourselves in the foot.
"But the expectation is nice. At the Essendon Football Club, there is always going to be expectation. That's the privilege of playing for this club. Most of us are pretty good at taking that in our stride, good, bad or ugly."
