It's been a while since Essendon fans savoured a piece of AFL silverware, but that wait could be about to end.
With four weeks left in the season, Joe Daniher finds himself in pole position for the Coleman Medal.
A commanding haul of six goals against Western Bulldogs on Sunday lifted Daniher two clear of the pack.
The 23-year-old sits on 53 goals, ahead of Sydney's Lance Franklin and North Melbourne bolter Ben Brown.
Daniher showed his prowess at Etihad Stadium on Sunday, converting a number of contested marks but also producing at ground level.
Coach John Worsfold suggested Daniher would be a very worthy recipient of the award - even if it was an afterthought in his current thinking.
"It'd be a wonderful achievement," he said.
"But I'd love to celebrate the individual awards our players might win after we've played some finals footy."
The Bombers last won a major individual award in 2003 when Matthew Lloyd claimed the same prize.
Prior to that, James Hird's 2000 Norm Smith Medal and 1996 Brownlow were Essendon's last league-wide champions, given Jobe Watson was stripped of the 2012 Brownlow.
Worsfold suggested that the punishment dished up for the club doping saga could be partially responsible for Daniher's development.
With 12 senior players missing from their list in 2016, Worsfold saw tremendous growth from his young forward.
"I thought he really developed last year. He kicked 43 goals in a team that was really battling and made the most of his opportunities," he said.
"He showed he had improved a fair bit last year and I still felt he had room for improvement.
"He's working his backside off to become the best player he can be.
"As with all the champs, the hard work doesn't stop and Joey knows that."
COLEMAN MEDAL RACE
53- Joe Daniher (Essendon)
51 - Ben Brown (North Melbourne), Lance Franklin (Sydney)
49 - Josh Kennedy (West Coast)
43 - Taylor Walker (Adelaide), Tom Hawkins (Geelong)
42 - Jeremy Cameron (GWS), Jack Riewoldt (Richmond)
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