AFL Player # 3: Darcy Parish

[Beerfish]

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

 

[Agronomus]

You are really saying this ? who have we had that has consistently blocked in the midfield ? Say what you want about his defensive side and ball watching and non chasing but the fact is in 2021 - 2022 - 2023 he was rated elite in Center Clearance. Stoppage Clearance. Ground Ball Gets and we where not blocking for him all the time. If there is one thing he is really good at it is reading the ball at clearance quicker than most. He is not big enough to power out of stoppage which is why he needs a block but he is an elite reader of the footy clearance wise.
Like I said for me he is a B grade with one elite tallent. He is a ball hunter so his defense will never be strong and he could be replaced but to knock his clearance ability is wrong. If he did not have that he would be D grade which showed this year when he was not fit enough to play at his top level.

I'll accept he's probably not as bad as I'm making out, and the problem is mainly having him and Merrett in the same midfield.

 

[Agronomus]

He only made the interchange bench in his all Australian year. Does he still get a statue?

 

[ant555]

I'll accept he's probably not as bad as I'm making out, and the problem is mainly having him and Merrett in the same midfield.

Well that is more of an issue. I was certainly no fan of Parish / Merrett / Shiel when they played there.

 

[crackers65]

He only made the interchange bench in his all Australian year. Does he still get a statue?

ONLY!!!

 

[D3K91]

I liked seeing the videos of him standing up in tackles and breaking them with jiu jitsu trainers

The video for those interested (sorry if posted earlier — didn't see it):

 

[FootyGuru]

The video for those interested (sorry if posted earlier — didn't see it):

I’m sure Scott or coaches have spoken to him about some clear offensive problems that have been there from day 1. Love that there is evidence of him working on this stuff.

His inability to win clearance without momentum, hopefully now he can pair and engage and win the ball through craft and positioning which also nullifies an opponent.

Also the hot potato footy he plays, always giving the ball before physical pressure comes. Hopefully with his added size and confidence in this area he can be much more rounded midfielder.

I’ve always thought his offensive stuff was flawed and his defensive stuff was a liability. Hopefully this training will help his tackling too, because even though his numbers in that area have improved, most tackles arent stopping oppo disposal and a lot are gang tackles.

Hoping for a good year from Darcy that allows him to be a key cog in our midfield instead of him playing as if he’s the entire midfield.

 

[Rick Ross]

The video for those interested (sorry if posted earlier — didn't see it):

Don't suppose there is another video of Parish learning from the Ju Jitsu guy how to do the tackling?

 

[jmoo wan]

The video for those interested (sorry if posted earlier — didn't see it):

I like that he's found someone to make him look like the big bodied mid that we need

 

[Keystone agony]

Personally I think that defence is too small. I’d want to fit in Cox/Hayes and have Ridley in that “D4/Medium Defender/Sweeper” role. Lots of younger players on the list who deserve opportunities.

I think that there’s a lot of younger guys who need minutes and deserve opportunities. They should get a real chance and not be held out for arbitrary reasons. However you can’t preach a merit based selection process and not pick the most deserving in form players.

So it’s a good problem to have. Should raise training standards.

3 guys 196cm+ is incredibly decent sized

Geelong and Sydney were rolling with only 1 bigger than that

As much as that was preached last year for the first 3 qtrs, doesnt necessarily mean that doesnt change. If it doesnt, its also an easy way to work around. Picking the best players to win is rarely followed by 'for this week' either and what is 'win' ... win this round or win a flag which may be in 2-3 years or longer ect

 

[jdstorm]

3 guys 196cm+ is incredibly decent sized

Geelong and Sydney were rolling with only 1 bigger than that

As much as that was preached last year for the first 3 qtrs, doesnt necessarily mean that doesnt change. If it doesnt, its also an easy way to work around. Picking the best players to win is rarely followed by 'for this week' either and what is 'win' ... win this round or win a flag which may be in 2-3 years or longer ect

I think the main defensive size thing is I want Ridley to play 100% of his minutes as 3rd tall. He’s just so good there playing him as a KPD is a waste.

Thinking more about minutes assuming most of these guys play 80% game time I think this works if we’re just talking about talls

KPD x 2 McKay 80 Reid 80
3rd tall Ridley 80
Ruck Bryan 80
Draper 20 Ruck FF 60
Utility tall Cox KPD 40 KPF 40

CHF Caddy 80
3rd Tall forward Langford 80
Jones Wing 40 Forward 40
Wings Martin 80 Dursma 80

In terms of Best players play I think how best is defined is critical. If it’s makes the fewest mistakes it tends to benefit average vets. If it’s make the most impact plays then young guys have a chance.

 

[Agronomus]

The video for those interested (sorry if posted earlier — didn't see

Would it be fair to say that Parish is competing with Hobbs for a midfield role then?

 

[faible]

Would it be fair to say that Parish is competing with Hobbs for a midfield role then?

I think Hobbs is a ways off showing he's going to push Parish out, but you've also got Caldwell, Durham and Merrett taking CBAs.

Hopefully Perkins doesn't get any and just plays a half-forward role, and Stringer not being there opens up those CBAs.

Personally I'd like to see Merrett off a flank, then have a Caldwell, Durham, Parish CBA group to see how it goes. Parish still reads the ball in motion better than anyone else we have in congestion, his ability to read ruck taps is miles ahead of a Durham or Caldwell IMO. Those guys are strong and combative, and if it allows Parish to move through stoppages the way he's best, and we can get Merrett taking the ball in space to use his kicking, that's a damaging setup.

 

[jdstorm]

The video for those interested (sorry if posted earlier — didn't see it):

Looks great when he has a size advantage.

Thing is in AFL games he’s often the little guy in the situation

 

[eth-dog]

Looks great when he has a size advantage.

Thing is in AFL games he’s often the little guy in the situation

Mate this guy is a former national champion in jujitsu. Size means literally nothing to him.

 

[Call Me Cake]

Looks great when he has a size advantage.

Thing is in AFL games he’s often the little guy in the situation

I think the trick of using someone's weight/momentum against them is a good one for him to learn. Also needs to learn to use speed/agility as an advantage over bigger blokes.

 

[DERO]

The video for those interested (sorry if posted earlier — didn't see it):

BrunoV

 

[katana]

Mate this guy is a former national champion in jujitsu. Size means literally nothing to him.

size means nothing to a guy who was national champion in his weight division?

 

[IHurley]

size means nothing to a guy who was national champion in his weight division?

Yep. You want to know who wins a fight, look at bench press max. When that's similar, fighting technique matters but when there's a large discrepancy the only chance the little guy has is of running away.

 

[eth-dog]

size means nothing to a guy who was national champion in his weight division?

A bloke could be 6'3 or 5'5 in any particular weight division. He could take blokes double Darcy's weight down without breaking a sweat.

 

[eth-dog]

Yep. You want to know who wins a fight, look at bench press max. When that's similar, fighting technique matters but when there's a large discrepancy the only chance the little guy has is of running away.

Tell me you don't know shit without telling me you don't know shit.

 

[faible]

Size means literally nothing to him.

I think you mean figuratively. Since I reckon he'd care a lot about fighting well out of his weight class against similarly trained guys.

 

[IHurley]

Tell me you don't know shit without telling me you don't know shit.

Then there's no need for weight divisions in fighting is there?

 

[eth-dog]

Then there's no need for weight divisions in fighting is there?

So you think a bloke with no training in martial arts that can bench 150 kg would smack a national champion in any martial art who can only bench 75?

You said bench press is the only thing that matters in any fight, ever.

 

[DERO]

Then there's no need for weight divisions in fighting is there?

Jiu jitsu was developed so that smaller, weaker opponents can take down bigger and stronger opponents regardless of size, strength etc. I can sort of see what Eth dog is getting at.

Either way, it might be pretty handy for DP3 against the bigger boys.

 

[ant555]

BrunoV

All will be forgiven if Darcy come out as a Trump fan