It is fast becoming clear just how important David Zaharakis – with his speed, class and smart decision-making – is to a functioning and flourishing Essendon midfield.

In the Bombers' round 13 loss to North Melbourne, it was Zaharakis, with 29 disposals, who sparked Essendon in the second half as it came close to snatching the win.

 
A week later, as Hawthorn ran riot against the Bombers at the MCG, Zaharakis played a lone hand in the middle with 31 possessions and a goal.

And, despite a quieter game against Geelong in round 15 (he gathered 18 touches and kicked one goal), Zaharakis carried his brilliant form into Saturday night's clash with Richmond.

The 21-year-old, playing more permanently in the midfield with stints up forward, collected 27 disposals against the Tigers, including 17 in the second half as Essendon charged to its 39-point win.

His last-quarter goal, booted from outside 50 in the opening minute of the term, also kick-started his team's seven goals to nil final term. 

""Probably the last four or five weeks I've been playing a majority of the game in the midfield and then going down forward for stints, so it's been really good,"" Zaharakis said.

""I play where the coaches tell me to play, but I like it up in the midfield and that's where I played in the under-18s at the Northern Knights.

""Just to develop a little bit each week in the midfield has been great, so I feel a lot more comfortable playing in there now,"" he said.

James Hird said post-game that the Bombers were ""flat"" in the first half as they slid to a nine-point deficit at the main break and Zaharakis agreed, saying it was the team's relentless approach late in the third quarter that sparked the come-from-behind win.

""Our pressure in the first half was nowhere near where it was last week (against Geelong) so just to have that resilience in the second half to fight back was great. And our ruthless attack on the ball was a lot better,"" he said.

""It was getting pretty annoying in that first half as we just couldn't replicate that pressure like the Geelong game. We were using the ball pretty well, but it was just our defensive pressure and ruthless attack on them (which was the difference),"" he said.