ED Curnow enters the record books this week for laying the most tackles in the first eight rounds of any AFL season since the stat was first recorded in 1999.

Wrapping up opponents 74 times over the first eight weeks, Curnow has averaged over nine tackles per game in arguably his best start to a season across his career.

After setting a new career-high for tackles with 14 against Adelaide in Round 7, Curnow backed it up with another 13 against Essendon on Saturday.

His crunching tackle on Essendon's David Zaharakis in the dying stages of the final term sent the Carlton faithful into raptures, earning him the Blues' Hard Hit of the Week.

Curnow will now set his sights on breaking the all-time season tackle record of 199 set by North Melbourne’s former captain Andrew Swallow in 2010.