AFL Player # 3: Darcy Parish

[Beerfish]

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

 

[Blind Turn]

Go home Cal you're drunk.

He's trying to destroy his credibility in one comment. Haven't we just been shown up for being smashed in the midfield during a final, had our best clearance player retire, and seen Parish hold his own in the clinches for the most part against Sydney? What, in any of that scenario, would suggest Parish might benefit us as a HBF? Wow.

 

[eDPS]

Cal knows more about Darcy than anyone so I wouldn't be calling him crazy just yet. If we had a strong midfield he would most likely be used there at times but no way does that happen anytime soon with our lack of midfield talent.

 

[Beerfish]

Cal knows more about Darcy than anyone so I wouldn't be calling him crazy just yet. If we had a strong midfield he would most likely be used there at times but no way does that happen anytime soon with our lack of midfield talent.

Well as that may be he clearly doesn't know much about Essendon if he thinks we have the kind of midfield that can afford to have a player of Darcy's quality running around half back.. don't get me wrong I wish we did because it'd mean we were ******* awesome.

 

[Blind Turn]

Cal knows more about Darcy than anyone so I wouldn't be calling him crazy just yet. If we had a strong midfield he would most likely be used there at times but no way does that happen anytime soon with our lack of midfield talent.

He might know Darcy inside-out but he comes across as having no insight into our club's midfield predicament and the obvious weakness there. I do know that he is the communication specialist in charge of Essendon content, who is an Ess supporter I believe, but Parish should be pencilled in for a permanent midfield role ASAP by everyone.

 

[carnthedons]

Cal knows more about Darcy than anyone so I wouldn't be calling him crazy just yet. If we had a strong midfield he would most likely be used there at times but no way does that happen anytime soon with our lack of midfield talent.

Stop posting about yourself in the third person Twomey

 

[blitzer]

If we want a young midfielder to play at half back we would just stick with McGrath back there. Personally I want to see Parish and McGrath in the midfield as much as possible next year. The sooner we develop more quality mids that run both ways the better. We also need to develop a midfield group rather than just individuals - so settling in the players there earlier will help a lot in years to come.

All the teams with great midfields have had most of their players playing together for years and then they just add or take 1 or 2 players each year. Working together around the stoppages is super important and we've got a fair ways to go in that area.

FWIW I reckon Parish is very capable at winning clearances. He's clean with his hands and he's got great timing at hitting the pack with pace. I wouldn't be surprised if he's able to average a very solid 4-5 clearances next year if he was played in the right role.

 

[DERO]

Stop posting about yourself in the third person Twomey

BOOM.

 

[carnthedons]

BOOM.

Wait,

Twomey = 2Me.

That's why he has two identities.

It's so simple

 

[Laverde2Smack]

A kid in his second season having an interrupted pre season is always going to struggle. It is, a credit to Darcy that he still managed to have a net positive season and get as many midfield minutes as he did.
This kid is a jet and will have a big break out season in 2018 injury permitting.

Sent from my F3115 using Tapatalk

 

[yaco55]

In what universe did Parish struggle in 2017 ? My guess is he will be as good as Merrett - He is such a pure midfielder.

 

[Andronicus]

In what universe did Parish struggle in 2017 ? My guess is he will be as good as Merrett - He is such a pure midfielder.

Guess or hope?

 

[doug85]

A kid in his second season having an interrupted pre season is always going to struggle. It is, a credit to Darcy that he still managed to have a net positive season and get as many midfield minutes as he did.
This kid is a jet and will have a big break out season in 2018 injury permitting.

Sent from my F3115 using Tapatalk

He had an interrupted preseason?

 

[JDavey]

In what universe did Parish struggle in 2017 ? My guess is he will be as good as Merrett - He is such a pure midfielder.

I'll bite - he had 7 games under 20 disposals which is pretty poor for a pure midfielder. He struggled to crack good permanent midfield rotations despite us performing fairly poorly through there multiple times throughout the year.

He had a worse second season then other mids of ours did in their second year (Zerrett, Heppell) despite being a higher draft pick - not all people mature at the same speed but fans do consider this. To compound that he was out shined by the first year McGrath who is also looking to push for more midfield minutes.

I'm a big fan of Parish, and he should've been thrust 100% in there earlier in the season. Next year I think indicators for his success will be:
- can he find the ball more (hes already very clean once he has it)
- can he put himself into games (can go missing for large chunks)
- does he have an X factor that takes him to the next level (clean hands but doesn't appear to have elite kicking, speed, marking etc etc)

I think our midfield for the next 3-5 years ends up looking like:
Heppell, Merrett, McGrath, Parish, Zaka, Inside MID

But this unfortunately depends largely on recruiting a very high quality inside mid, and 1-2 of the guys improving their clearance work this year to support that inside me (most likely for me: Parish, Heppell)

 

[Loonerty]

I don't think he struggled at all. Was shoehorned into the forward line where he obviously isn't natural because we had several experienced midfielders back into the side, and I think he did fine.

When he did play large stretches of midfield minutes, IMO he played well.

Nothing there to be concerned about for me.

 

[revival_mode]

yeah he wasn't played as a pure mid - would have had better numbers if he did. was a good development year for him though & I hope he is straight in the guts full time next season. he's a bloody ripper.

 

[Killer_Mike]

I agree with the the consensus and that was he was good considering the change in role.

If he had of played as a pure mid I have no doubt he would of lifted all his averages throughout the year but he was adapting to play a new role.

the significant thing for me was that when given an opportunity in midfield he took it with both hands. Towards the end of the season he had some high possession games and was very influential.

Tracking very well.

 

[calyam]

I thought he consolidated his first year form. Roughly the same number of disposals but a slightly greater impact.

I think he can be harshly judged in comparison to Clayton Oliver but I think Parish is tracking very well right now. Next season I think he will get more midfield minutes and he will push up into that 23 - 25 disposals per game level.

However, I'm still waiting for him to have a genuine break-out game that provides a glimpse of the player than he will one day be. He has had a few high disposal games - including 29 against the Dogs this year - but nothing that really makes me jump out of my seat. Certainly nothing like Merrett was producing in his second season.

 

[Gumby2Hurley]

Will have a better inside game than Merrett. Little terrier he is.

 

[TheFrenchCut]

In what universe did Parish struggle in 2017 ? My guess is he will be as good as Merrett - He is such a pure midfielder.

Agree with most of that, except I would say the thing that would hold him back from Merrett's level is kicking. For a nice kick (particularly going inside 50), the gap between his best and worst is too wide at the moment.

 

[ant555]

Bombers in review... oh yeah okay. Wonder if there'll be anything new or noteworthy in here...

blahblahblahblahblah


http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/2017-09-12/bombers-in-review

WHAAA? O__O

Actually I do not think it is a silly as it sounds. IMO his best asset when playing well is his ability to break the lines and run with the ball. He is not really the player I want to see smashing in week in and week out.

 

[yaco55]

Agree with most of that, except I would say the thing that would hold him back from Merrett's level is kicking. For a nice kick (particularly going inside 50), the gap between his best and worst is too wide at the moment.

Agree his kicking which will never reach Merrett's level - Think he will develop a better inside game, and be a better clearance player than Merrett - He's also good at bursting clear from clearances - I'll be disappointed if he doesn't reach Merrett's level but I could be wrong.

 

[Bombermania]

I have never seen Parish and Merrett has similar players, Merrett comes across to me as more of an outside mid that sets the play up wheres Parish is more the inside mid that fires the ball out to Merrett or when he goes forward can kick a goal from a stoppage.. My only concern with Merrett is that he doesn't seem to have a right foot wheres Parish doesn't have such a limitation that I can think off.

 

[carnthedons]

I have never seen Parish and Merrett has similar players, Merrett comes across to me as more of an outside mid that sets the play up wheres Parish is more the inside mid that fires the ball out to Merrett or when he goes forward can kick a goal from a stoppage.. My only concern with Merrett is that he doesn't seem to have a right foot wheres Parish doesn't have such a limitation that I can think off.

Really? Merrett’s right is much better than a lot of left footers.

 

[Bombermania]

Really? Merrett’s right is much better than a lot of left footers.

Maybe I've missed it but he always seems to go with the left.

 

[carnthedons]

Maybe I've missed it but he always seems to go with the left.

He uses it occasionally but his hand to foot is just about the quickest in the league and his left is so good, why wouldn’t he use the left?