After a week off with the bye, which he spent unwinding in Sydney, Essendon's David Zaharakis is looking forward to getting back into playing this week in the annual Call to Arms match against Melbourne on Friday night at the MCG.
 
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The Call To Arms campaign encourages players, administrators and supporters around the country to wear a yellow armband to raise funds to treat, prevent and detect cancers in men.

 

An Essendon initiative following Adam Ramanauskas' cancer battles, Zaharakis said the game was one of the highlights of the Essendon season each year.

 

""It's a big game for everyone at the club,"" Zaharakis said. ""Adam's been a role model for everyone who has gone through cancer, especially being able to come back and play good footy like he did.""

 

""He's a great person, and I just can't even imagine what he went through. He's very easy person to talk to and it's a great game they put on.""

 

Ramanauskas, who played 134 games for the Bombers between 1999 and 2008, including the 2000 premiership, said the continued support of the club was an honour.

 

""It is a real privilege that the club continues to be involved in a game like this,"" Ramanauskas said this week.

 

""But I think the club realises its responsibility with causes like this, and they can really have a significant impact on the wider community.

 

""Being a football club and them usually being male dominated places, there's no better forum to get the message of men's health out there in the public than an AFL football club, particularly Essendon, which has been a real leader in community engagement for years.

 

""Sport was my life, but it was also a really important factor in my recovery,"" Ramanauskas said.

 

The game has extra importance this year for Essendon, with the club keen to cement its position in the top half of the ladder. Zaharakis said he wasn't surprised with the team's development this year, despite finishing 14th in 2010.

 

""We stuck together pretty tight, and we knew we had a special group in us, but we just weren't playing good footy last year,"" he said.

 

""We did know that we've got a lot of talent in this list and if we work hard things can happen. It showed in the pre-season that we can come together and play some good footy and we've really come on this season,"" the 21-year-old said.

 

Ramanauskas agreed, and said the Essendon-Melbourne rivalry would be one to watch in the future.

 

""Essendon had a really good start to the year before the loss to Richmond, and Melbourne will get a few players back this week so I expect a strong showing this week, but also in the years to come with their lists,"" he said.