David Zaharakis, former Essendon star and now an age-group competitor at the world triathlon championships, laughs at the question.

Does he dare to dream that in October next year he will race at the Hawaiian Ironman and be celebrating - at long last - the end of the Bombers' notorious 21-year stretch without an AFL finals win?

"One might be more of a chance than the other, and I will let you work out which one," Zaharakis told AAP.

He was speaking from Marbella in Spain, where Zaharakis will race early on Monday morning (AEDT) in the 35-39 age group at the Ironman 70.3 world championships.

But his big goal comes next month. Zaharakis will try to qualify for Hawaii at the Ironman WA triathlon in Busselton, south of Perth.

The Hawaii Ironman world championships are triathlon's pinnacle

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