AFL Player # 3: Darcy Parish

[Beerfish]

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

 

[FootyGuru]

Most definitely we should have shipped him off. Our list is unbalanced, we have put a lot of draft/trade currency in the midfield and we know parish/merrett/shiel combination doesn’t work. Caldwell and Hobbs are being used as forwards and tsatas isn’t getting a game.
We were in a position to get draft assets back for parish that we could use on some athletic players who can kick.
Unfortunately we will be stuck with him for 6 years while we potentially lose or don’t fully develop younger guys who might get the club to the next level.

 

[Ambrosia]

There’s every chance Parish isn’t part of our best side and he’s signed for 5 more years

 

[gillon]

There’s every chance Parish isn’t part of our best side and he’s signed for 5 more years

List management staff probably spend thousands of hours going over game footage every year. Yet they still fall for the shiny high number when they look at the disposal tally.

Years of evidence shows they he and Merrett do not work in the same midfield, yet we continue to stick with it.

 

[BrunoV]

hooboy. is it about time to have the conversation about his contract? should we have shipped him off?

looks completely out of place when gun midfields bring the heat against us. serious concern this fella.

amazingly, the hobbs thread was bumped first. actually. that's not surprising at all.

There wasn't anywhere to ship him.

That says it all.

Even Whatley was saying Parish had no appreciation of his limitations if he wanted a 6 year deal.

It was 5 but then all of the sudden it became 6. 6 for a guy whose footy style was last relevant in the 1980s.

 

[Howard Moon]

There wasn't anywhere to ship him.

That says it all.

Even Whatley was saying Parish had no appreciation of his limitations if he wanted a 6 year deal.

It was 5 but then all of the sudden it became 6. 6 for a guy whose footy style was last relevant in the 1980s.

At the end of the day, teams go into battle mode over fa and it's considered another huge win if they stay or devastating loss if they leave - nothing to do with team balance or player limitations, all to do with optics and media narrative

 

[DERO]

Without getting caught up in post loss the histrionics or the hyperbole in here, it is definitely fair enough to suggest that he was pretty average yesterday. Hopefully he is pulls it together next week because we need him firing on all cylinders.

 

[andleanback]

He was weak and could hardly hit a target against a Geelong going at 70%.

He played 2 practice matches in an uninterrupted preseason and then missed 2 or 3 weeks due to injury.

This is Parish when there is no space. It always has been.

Um

 

[Vander18]

The Parish situation is so very Essendon.

Firstly, I’m not Parish basher - he can find footy and he has nice hands and distribution. As a 3rd/4th mid in a good group he’d be fine. But at Essendon we’ve, as always, completely overrated our own talent.

He’s got a 6 year contract but he can’t:

• Absorb contact and release outside mid (think Bont/Cripps)
• Get through the front of stoppages (JHF or Rozee spring to mind)
• Hurt teams with his kicking (Merrett)

He also can’t really run by AFL midfield standards so he is a total liability in defensive transition. It’s not that he won’t....he can’t. He has neither above average speed or eendurance.

He’s a solid B grade mid who we have remunerated like a star. Have said it a million times - we missed the memo re how footy is played in the 2020’s and what traits/skills actually matter.

To compound all of this, we have have managed to compile a midfield group with similar traits. All decent players but horrible as a collective. Now we have finally started to address it by playing Durham and Perkins as mids but we are left with Caldwell and Hobbs playing less midfield time than they should. Parish of course still gobbles up big midfield minutes.

Should never have done a 6 year deal, it was madness. The right move was a trade if one was on the table - we could have started to meaningfully address our midfield issues.

What to do now? Club clearly not prepared to bite the bullet and either restrict his midfield minutes or not play him. Only way I see a trade is if we eat his salary - can’t see club doing that either.

Don’t know where it goes from here....we’ve created a real barrier for ourselves in terms of moving the club forward. We need to be absolutely ruthless if we want to address it but I just don’t see that mindset from anyone within the club.

 

[BrunoV]

View attachment 1951293

Running around accumulating at half back.

I mentioned him being brushed aside inside by Geelong and being ineffective inside.

Free your mind.

 

[BrunoV]

The Parish situation is so very Essendon.

Firstly, I’m not Parish basher - he can find footy and he has nice hands and distribution. As a 3rd/4th mid in a good group he’d be fine. But at Essendon we’ve, as always, completely overrated our own talent.

He’s got a 6 year contract but he can’t:

• Absorb contact and release outside mid (think Bont/Cripps)
• Get through the front of stoppages (JHF or Rozee spring to mind)
• Hurt teams with his kicking (Merrett)

He also can’t really run by AFL midfield standards so he is a total liability in defensive transition. It’s not that he won’t....he can’t. He has neither above average speed or eendurance.

He’s a solid B grade mid who we have remunerated like a star. Have said it a million times - we missed the memo re how footy is played in the 2020’s and what traits/skills actually matter.

To compound all of this, we have have managed to compile a midfield group with similar traits. All decent players but horrible as a collective. Now we have finally started to address it by playing Durham and Perkins as mids but we are left with Caldwell and Hobbs playing less midfield time than they should. Parish of course still gobbles up big midfield minutes.

Should never have done a 6 year deal, it was madness. The right move was a trade if one was on the table - we could have started to meaningfully address our midfield issues.

What to do now? Club clearly not prepared to bite the bullet and either restrict his midfield minutes or not play him. Only way I see a trade is if we eat his salary - can’t see club doing that either.

Don’t know where it goes from here....we’ve created a real barrier for ourselves in terms of moving the club forward. We need to be absolutely ruthless if we want to address it but I just don’t see that mindset from anyone within the club.

Problem is we become a Darcy Parish midfield in the way Freo was Fyfe and Richmond was Dusty.

But he doesn't hurt an opposition and we don't play the soldiers to do his defensive running for him.

What else is he going to do if he is not accumulating? Make our forwardline even slower or hack the ball at half back?

I mean this in all seriousness, i would have position dumped and delisted him before giving him more than 2 years at not more than $300k.

Remember the time Lyon did it to Luke Ball? He was still much more physical albeit that he became a plodder after OP and other injury issues.

 

[Mercurial89]

This year has been an example of when a player who excels at one touch gathering the ball and hitting hand passes is down on those categories and doesn't have other outstanding attributes.

We are wedded to the bloke so it's not really up for debate but I think eventually majority will understand the ceiling on the team when we are building our team around the McGrath and Parish types as your leaders and "stars".

 

[brain taylor]

even when this guy is red hot, the value of his role is questionable. now he's about to turn 27, bamboozled his way into a 6 year deal, and won't produce a consistent, acceptable baseline for his performance. **** him.

 

[jdstorm]

The Parish situation is so very Essendon.

Firstly, I’m not Parish basher - he can find footy and he has nice hands and distribution. As a 3rd/4th mid in a good group he’d be fine. But at Essendon we’ve, as always, completely overrated our own talent.

He’s got a 6 year contract but he can’t:

• Absorb contact and release outside mid (think Bont/Cripps)
• Get through the front of stoppages (JHF or Rozee spring to mind)
• Hurt teams with his kicking (Merrett)

He also can’t really run by AFL midfield standards so he is a total liability in defensive transition. It’s not that he won’t....he can’t. He has neither above average speed or eendurance.

He’s a solid B grade mid who we have remunerated like a star. Have said it a million times - we missed the memo re how footy is played in the 2020’s and what traits/skills actually matter.

To compound all of this, we have have managed to compile a midfield group with similar traits. All decent players but horrible as a collective. Now we have finally started to address it by playing Durham and Perkins as mids but we are left with Caldwell and Hobbs playing less midfield time than they should. Parish of course still gobbles up big midfield minutes.

Should never have done a 6 year deal, it was madness. The right move was a trade if one was on the table - we could have started to meaningfully address our midfield issues.

What to do now? Club clearly not prepared to bite the bullet and either restrict his midfield minutes or not play him. Only way I see a trade is if we eat his salary - can’t see club doing that either.

Don’t know where it goes from here....we’ve created a real barrier for ourselves in terms of moving the club forward. We need to be absolutely ruthless if we want to address it but I just don’t see that mindset from anyone within the club.

This should never have done a 6 year deal take is just dumb.

Parish was a Free Agent. If another team had the cap room to pay him they weren’t giving up anything

If Parish goes you can’t go after McKay or Goldy or Gresham without messing with the compo.

He’s also on a team friendly deal being front loaded and without raises linked to the cap.

Parish is a good player on a good contract. And signing him allowed Essendon to improve.

It’s fair to point out the list balance issues but that wasn’t fixable last offseason.

 

[katana]

If Parish goes you can’t go after McKay or Goldy or Gresham without messing with the compo.

i don't think it works like that.

simple case of the emperor having no clothes imo.

 

[Vander18]

This should never have done a 6 year deal take is just dumb.

Parish was a Free Agent. If another team had the cap room to pay him they weren’t giving up anything

If Parish goes you can’t go after McKay or Goldy or Gresham without messing with the compo.

He’s also on a team friendly deal being front loaded and without raises linked to the cap.

Parish is a good player on a good contract. And signing him allowed Essendon to improve.

It’s fair to point out the list balance issues but that wasn’t fixable last offseason.

Firstly, maybe think about ways to engage with other posters that don’t start with telling them their thoughts are dumb.

Second, assuming your statement is true, there is zero evidence of other clubs pursuing him…..so why did it have to be 6 years?

 

[DERO]

Wow, people are really freaking out over one average game. There is a bit of a cycle here. Darcy has an average game and people come out and start bagging him and then he gets 30 for 5 or 6 weeks in a row and they disappear. It has been like this for a couple of years now.

We have bigger issues than Darcy Parish

3

Darcy Parish

Age

27

Ht

180cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

20.4

5star

K

9.2

4star

HB

11.2

5star

M

3.2

3star

T

3.3

5star

CL

3.2

5star

D

16.6

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

9.1

5star

M

1.4

2star

T

2.0

3star

CL

3.1

4star

D

22.2

5star

K

7.6

3star

HB

14.6

5star

M

3.2

4star

T

4.4

5star

CL

3.6

5star

. On Saturday we got smashed in the midfield (by a bloody good midfield) and Caldwell, Setterfield and Hobbs in particular were also average. We also seem to have pinned our hopes on Tsatas who looks like he has similar flaws to Parish. Martin as well. Throw in the lack of talented big and small players up forward, our lack of consistent quality ruck men, the gaping holes in our defence and the main reason a why we lost are clearly highlighted.

 

[ant555]

Wow, people are really freaking out over one average game. There is a bit of a cycle here. Darcy has an average game and people come out and start bagging him and then he gets 30 for 5 or 6 weeks in a row and they disappear. It has been like this for a couple of years now.

We have bigger issues than Darcy Parish. On Saturday we got smashed in the midfield (by a bloody good midfield) and Caldwell, Setterfield and Hobbs in particular were also average. We also seem to have pinned our hopes on Tsatas who looks like he has similar flaws to Parish. Martin as well. Throw in the lack of talented big and small players up forward, our lack of consistent quality ruck men, the gaping holes in our defence and the main reason a why we lost are clearly highlighted.

Hodge highlighted him so there is a pile on.
I am not his biggest fan but you can build a good midfield with him in it. As you say the issue was not just Parish being poor. It was 10 or so others not being great at certain stages as well.

 

[Vander18]

Wow, people are really freaking out over one average game. There is a bit of a cycle here. Darcy has an average game and people come out and start bagging him and then he gets 30 for 5 or 6 weeks in a row and they disappear. It has been like this for a couple of years now.

We have bigger issues than Darcy Parish. On Saturday we got smashed in the midfield (by a bloody good midfield) and Caldwell, Setterfield and Hobbs in particular were also average. We also seem to have pinned our hopes on Tsatas who looks like he has similar flaws to Parish. Martin as well. Throw in the lack of talented big and small players up forward, our lack of consistent quality ruck men, the gaping holes in our defence and the main reason a why we lost are clearly highlighted.

It’s not about one game for me. My thoughts have been well documented for some time, as have those of others.

He wasn’t the whole problem v Port, far from it. And he’s not a shit player. But he is 100% a barrier to taking this club forward from a list management perspective.

 

[BrunoV]

Wow, people are really freaking out over one average game. There is a bit of a cycle here. Darcy has an average game and people come out and start bagging him and then he gets 30 for 5 or 6 weeks in a row and they disappear. It has been like this for a couple of years now.

We have bigger issues than Darcy Parish. On Saturday we got smashed in the midfield (by a bloody good midfield) and Caldwell, Setterfield and Hobbs in particular were also average. We also seem to have pinned our hopes on Tsatas who looks like he has similar flaws to Parish. Martin as well. Throw in the lack of talented big and small players up forward, our lack of consistent quality ruck men, the gaping holes in our defence and the main reason a why we lost are clearly highlighted.

He's just as irrelevant every week but I've got to choose my moments.

 

[DERO]

Hodge highlighted him so there is a pile on.
I am not his biggest fan but you can build a good midfield with him in it. As you say the issue was not just Parish being poor. It was 10 or so others not being great at certain stages as well.

He seems to be the whipping boy. He wasn’t great on the weekend and has been singled out for that but he wasn’t Robinson Crusoe. Some of the criticism is a touch unfair. We should be looking at body of work rather than waiting for a bad game to jump on him.

I’ll jump on too if his performance stays at the level we saw against Port.

 

[DERO]

He's just as irrelevant every week but I've got to choose my moments.

You and I both know that that is not the truth.

 

[Old Campaigner]

I don't think it's an unreasonable position to say he can simultaneously be a good player and somewhat of a weak link in our current midfield lineup. That's based on a more high level assessment of our side rather than anything to do with matchday performances.

 

[Agronomus]

Parish and Merret are both ball hunting rovers so should never be in the in the same midfield. We need a ruckrover like Tsatas or Durham to take his place. Setterfield, Durham & Merret is a far better balanced midfield imo

 

[Howard Moon]

We are just constantly behind the curve and we all know who the finger is pointed at in that respect. Our list demographic change has a turning circle like the Queen Mary..

Game goes contested, we draft a shitload of whippy flankers to play slingshot - everyone cries out for the tough inside mids...we finally start drafting inside mids but over correct and get stuck with a one paced midfield while everyone else is using now outside speed to cut games open .. we all know what happens next

 

[ant555]

To say you can not build a good side with Parish in it is simply wrong IMO. I would have traded him if we could have got some good picks as I think he is a guy that others can take up the slack for. This has happened when he has been out injured. But that is not saying he is not an elite clearance winner and good player. Yes his defensive transition has its issues and yes his size means he is not going to burst through tackles but you counter that by putting other pieces in place. He can play in the side and not have to be the one to carry the side on his back. You can not just put all the small blokes in at once and he has to be able to play forward if need be based on match ups. Some people make him sound like he is an absolute dud. He is actually a very good player. He is just not the guy to be the super star match winner most weeks.
As for other sides not wanting him. Their was interest just not at the price as they did not consider him to be the guy you pay $750k - $800k . IMO we payed overs but with the front loaded contract it is not a massive issue.