Crameri, who has spent the past two years on the Bendigo Bank Bombers’ list, has been invited to train with Essendon in the lead-up to the December 16 rookie draft.

The 20-year-old’s first training run with Essendon will be a skills session at 8am this morning at Bundoora.

Crameri’s opportunity to train with Essendon continues his meteoric rise from an exciting prospect playing in the Bendigo Football League with Maryborough in 2006 to one of the key players in the Bombers’ senior VFL team this year.

“Stewart came through the Maryborough ranks as a junior and here we are today with him about to start training at Essendon,’’ said Bombers reserves coach Steve Thomson, who also coached Crameri at Maryborough.

“At Maryborough he used to sit in the goalsquare and just kick goals, but he has now turned himself into a running machine off half-back at the Bombers.

“It’s a bit of a rags to riches story for him, but he has done it all himself with his hard work.

“His preparation, his diet, it has all been geared towards this opportunity to have a crack and now it has arrived.

“He has got three-and-a-half weeks before the rookie draft is held, so he has to make every minute between now and then a winner.

“He has a window of opportunity to show Essendon what we at Bendigo already know he can do.’’

After spending his debut season with the Bombers in 2007 in the reserves, the powerful Crameri was a permanent fixture in the senior side this year with his hard running and booming kick from half-back a standout feature of his game.

Crameri played 19 senior games for the Bombers this year, one of which was lining up on Scott West in the Western Bulldogs’ star’s much-hyped return from a knee injury for Williamstown on August 16.

For Crameri, he will be hoping to follow in the path of former team-mate Jarrod Atkinson.

This time last year after spending the 2007 season with the Bendigo Bombers, Atkinson was given an opportunity to train with Essendon ahead of the rookie draft.