AFL Player # 3: Darcy Parish

[Beerfish]

Contract Status: Unrestricted free agent 2028 or 2029
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 18, doug85

 

[doug85]

Have you seen Finn Maginness and Jacob Weitering?

The elaborate scam that robbed Weitering of his life savings was someone asked for them and offered him a rock that keeps tigers away in return.



The discrepancy of the numbers can be worked around, every other club works around them, it's a choice. I guess the CBA thing is a new wrinkle we didn't know about which makes sense as to why this is dragging from a club perspective but I would expect that interest will start to heat the longer this goes on just because opposition clubs are waiting on us to **** it up, there's no point giving your cards away at this early stage if you're an oppo club.

I liken this situation to Saad a couple of years ago, the only reason he left is because we managed the situation very, very poorly.

My rocks been working so far

 

[jannissary]

if there’s no interest we clearly just offer a bit over draftees salary & give him 6 years.

not like anyone else wants him right

 

[P Money]

The wheels are in motion, we aren't there yet, but we'll see how this unfolds.

There are so many ways to skin the cat I struggle to believe we can't work it out. Could smooth the money over the extra year, or even years with a trigger, could essentially offer him a 500k signing bonus upfront through front loading given this supposed 'war chest' that we're about to unload on... checks notes, Ben McKay :/, brand ambassador work, dev coach with the AFLW team.

I know we're dumb and we have a track record of doing dumb things but forgive me for thinking this is something that could pretty easily be nutted out with some smart, creative above the line thinking.

Why don't we just offer him what we think he's worth? That sounds like the least dumb thing to here. If another club thinks he's worth more and offer more, he's free to accept and move via free agency. If not, then clearly he (or his manager) are overvaluing his worth and he'll sign on with us. Pretty simple way to skin a cat I would think.

 

[Zach Package]

Why don't we just offer him what we think he's worth? That sounds like the least dumb thing to here. If another club thinks he's worth more and offer more, he's free to accept and move via free agency. If not, then clearly he (or his manager) are overvaluing his worth and he'll sign on with us. Pretty simple way to skin a cat I would think.

That kind of simple jack logic is why we're in this kerfuffle

 

[P Money]

That kind of simple jack logic is why we're in this kerfuffle

Disagree with your premise that we are in a kerfuffle (though have to admit I haven't looked up the definition in the dictionary...)

 

[BrunoV]

The stalemate is due to three key elements.

The first is the length of the deal. Essendon will not budge on the five years it has offered, which would lock Parish in until the end of 2028.

But Parish’s camp wants a six-year contract following an All-Australian season in 2021, plus second and ninth place finishes in the last two best and fairest vote counts.

This deal would mean Parish is 32 when he comes out of contract.

For comparison, Harry Himmelberg, who is 14 months older than Parish, was slated to sign a five-year deal at GWS earlier this season, but in the last 48 hours the Giants clinched it by upping it to six years.

Essendon captain Zach Merrett signed a six-year deal in 2021, which takes him through to the end of 2027.



The second element the club and Parish’s management must find common ground on is the money.

Rival clubs believe there is a $50-100,000 gap (per year) between the two parties, which extrapolated out is up to $500,000 across five years.

One list manager, who asked not to be quoted, said Parish is worth $750-800,000 per season.

The final element relates to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

With no resolution on total player payments yet, Essendon is refusing to automatically pass on any uplift to its players.

If the CBA was to rise by 10 per cent (hypothetically), many of the AFL’s best players have a clause in their contract which entitles them to receive the same percentage pay rise.

Parish’s agents, of Hemisphere Management Group, would like Parish to be one of those players. As it stands, the Bombers are rejecting this request.

It's understood 16 of the 18 clubs are open-minded to a reasonable clause.

The AFL Players' Association does not mandate any particular clause in individual player contracts relating to the CBA, preferring to leave it up to clubs and agents to negotiate.

SEN.com.au spoke to two rival list managers on this subject. They said their clubs determine who deserves this clause on a player-by-player basis, rather than a one-size fits all approach.

Both said the very best players usually have a clause which allows them share in the uplift, while the players with less value often don't.

In saying all this, it's universally agreed that Parish wants to stay at Essendon. While Geelong has reportedly shown interest in the past, the former Pick 5 sees his future at the Bombers and is committed to re-signing.

Rival clubs believe there is not a huge market for the on-baller.

One list boss said he's worth 800k.

And yet the money isn't on the table.

 

[yodellinhank]

Geelong to get him in the PSD

As long as it doesn't cost us draft picks to send him there

 

[yodellinhank]

One list boss said he's worth 800k.

And yet the money isn't on the table.

Hopefully that list boss wasn't Dodoro

 

[Old Campaigner]

As a pure centre square player? Of course not, but it speaks to his utility.

I'm of the opinion that he has the best hands in close in the entire AFL and since he moved into the middle full time he's been 1st, 8th and now 3rd in average clearances per game and everyone around him in that stat is a rolled gold gun, so he's the AFL's first statistical nothing burger all on his own or he's very good.

I'm also of the belief that no man is an island and we actually need to get him some help, rather than tell him to get lost because he can't work miracles on his own. Go out and further weaponise him with a best in class strength and conditioning coach and a couple of slope headed neanderthals to bowl everyone over and let him go to work. It's our responsibility to make sure he's as good as he can be, not his.

Re dicking around on the money, we're electing to make this a problem. Could easily make this front ended so he's earning north of a mil for the next couple of years and 4-500k in the last couple. There's only no market for him because it's very obvious both sides want each other, so why would clubs waste their time on the pursuit.

Why would we pay more than we have to? The club clearly knows who else is interested (nobody apparently) so they are putting forward what we consider to be fair.

We only have limited cap space and it doesn’t strike me as good management to overpay now and find later we’ve shot ourselves in the dick because we can’t afford to retain an actual star player.

The other aspect is cultural, paying a star player salary to a B grade player is going to get other people at the club thinking “why not me too?” which could lead to far more problems down the track.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Hopefully this whole saga serves as a wake up call for him, if you want to be paid in the top tier of players then you need to play like them.

 

[andleanback]

One list boss said he's worth 800k.

And yet the money isn't on the table.

Easy to say a player is worth amount x when you aren’t actually going to pay that player. If Darcy and his manager think he’s worth that much, contact other clubs and see what they’ll give him. He might get a reality check.

 

[citizen-erased]

Frustrating. Angry. Despair. Emptiness. Jealousy.

Id argue theyve been long term prospects too

 

[MiguelM]

His value outside us is what someone is willing to pay but he is definitely a rung down from Bont, butters etc.

Just a guess but he has probably dropped 50-70k on the back of his second half of the year.

Clubs would know market value so I would offer him just under that. If another club makes an offer, we can always match it anyway if it is not overs.

The club should hold the aces.

 

[ghostdog]

View attachment 1782227

Merrett hands on hips: Zach openly asserting his authority, genuine in his belief of something.
Scott shoulders open and gesturing to explain something. Again genuine in his belief.
Parish: arms folded. Staunch but defensive. Maybe listening to truths but certainly listening to convictions.

Maybe trying to convince him to stay?

 

[ghostdog]

Looks like they're annoyed at the Heppell resigning.

...which is clearly also Parish's fault.

 

[ghostdog]

I originally thought trading Parish was a good idea, because our midfield was too samey. But bringing in Setterfield, and having Stringer run through the middle (when he's fit) showed we can have a good mix in there if we have a couple of bigger bodies. Now I want him to stay, because what he does well is very good, and when he's on song he's great to watch.

But how much would you pay him? Because I think that's the question, not that he's not worth keeping, but is he worth paying huge money to keep him on the list?

Stringer in the middle is not sustainable. We still need another big body. Setterfield's role is shallow for support.

 

[citizen-erased]

My rocks been working so far

May i buy rock?

 

[citizen-erased]

I originally thought trading Parish was a good idea, because our midfield was too samey. But bringing in Setterfield, and having Stringer run through the middle (when he's fit) showed we can have a good mix in there if we have a couple of bigger bodies. Now I want him to stay, because what he does well is very good, and when he's on song he's great to watch.

But how much would you pay him? Because I think that's the question, not that he's not worth keeping, but is he worth paying huge money to keep him on the list?

Setterfield - merrett - parish is still our best starting middle
Good balance too

Then having the rotations of caldwell, hobbs, tsatas and perkins as well.
If anything, we need setterfield backup because his absence disrupted us.
Its where James Jordan makes sense as he can play off HB, but also go in as a decent sized mid.

 

[MarkJohnson#1]

Setterfield - merrett - parish is still our best starting middle
Good balance too

Then having the rotations of caldwell, hobbs, tsatas and perkins as well.
If anything, we need setterfield backup because his absence disrupted us.
Its where James Jordan makes sense as he can play off HB, but also go in as a decent sized mid.

No to Perkins in the midfield and a bigger no to Jordon.

Think I’d have Hobbs in there with Setterfield and Merrett over Parish next year.

 

[MarkJohnson#1]

His value outside us is what someone is willing to pay but he is definitely a rung down from Bont, butters etc.

Just a guess but he has probably dropped 50-70k on the back of his second half of the year.

Clubs would know market value so I would offer him just under that. If another club makes an offer, we can always match it anyway if it is not overs.

The club should hold the aces.

I can’t possibly see other clubs offering more than what we have put on the table. He has too many flaws to be a big target for other clubs.

Call his bluff and he’ll eventually sign, he’s got nowhere to go…

 

[citizen-erased]

No to Perkins in the midfield and a bigger no to Jordon.

Think I’d have Hobbs in there with Setterfield and Merrett over Parish next year.

I thought perkins was ok this year
Certainly not first choice and i think we need depth in event Will is out .

 

[Schnitzengruben]

I can’t possibly see other clubs offering more than what we have put on the table. He has too many flaws to be a big target for other clubs.

Zac Williams...?

 

[doug85]

May i buy rock?

DM me your TFN

 

[brutus76]

Darcy if you were an ELITE kick youd be worth 900

But your footskills are tripe so 5 x 750 is about right

 

[jannissary]

I thought perkins was ok this year
Certainly not first choice and i think we need depth in event Will is out .

i agree.

i think people have been far too critical over someone transitioning from the forward line (last year) to being basically a 3/4 of the game midfielder to cover injury gaps.

has he been the best? not really, but he's done what's expected in a season that's had lots of lows. just needs a good off season to really highlight his abilities