Darcy Parish

[Demonland 72,217]

PUMPING FOR PARISH by Whispering Jack

Darcy Parish was always going to be highly sought after in light of his All Australian selection as a bottom ager in 2014, an achievement matched that year by his Geelong Falcons teammate Rhys Mathieson.

The two are midfielders but they're different types and I have watched them from afar this year knowing at the back of my mind that it remained an imperative for Melbourne to continue to improve its stocks of onballers. Parish is the outside silky smooth ball winner with quick hands who also goes well on the inside; the other gets the hard ball inside the stoppages. Would one of them be claimed by the Demons?

Parish's 2015 campaign stalled early when he broke a thumb. However, before that he was in fine form in two AIS Academy games against Northern Bullants and Werribee:-

https://vimeo.com/127122213

https://vimeo.com/125095504

The injury caused him to miss the first two rounds of this year's Under 18's carnival but he came back from a seven week break to play for the Geelong Falcons in late May and gathered 25 disposals in his team's 10 goal win over the Western Jets. A week later he was repeating the dose for Victoria Country against Vic Metro in a game which was streamed live on the AFL site.

Watch the replays of each quarter.

http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-06-07/under-18s-vicc-v-vicm-q1

http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-06-07/under-18s-vicc-v-vicm-q2

http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-06-07/under-18s-vicc-v-vicm-q3

http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-06-07/under-18s-vicc-v-vicm-q4

Parish again recorded 25 possessions and with partner in crime Mathieson, dominated proceedings.

Parish followed up this performance a week or so later against South Australia when he starred again with 24 disposals including seven inside-50 entries. He once again demonstrated quick hands and sure and precise execution. By foot, he regularly hit his targets.

However, he was a bit of a disappointment in his next game, the televised return game v SA at Simonds Stadium where he was reduced to a mere nine touches. However, in that match, he was played off a half back flank and despite taking a few hits, he still showed the assuredness and poise that is part and parcel of his game even if he was subdued and played out of position.

To prove that he's something special, he came back with a vengeance in the last game against Western Australia in a game where he was the dominant midfielder on the ground picking up 29 disposals. That display ensured his repeat selection in the All Australian team, a feat shared with Mathieson.

The two midfielders continued to dominate their part of the ground at the Geelong Falcons and when Charlie Curnow rejoined them after his stint out with injury, there were high hopes that their team would feature in a classic TAC Cup finale against the well performed North Ballarat Rebels team with Jacob Hopper and Darcy Tucker. That was not to be however, with the Falcons going out in straight sets and the Rebels losing their preliminary final.

If we are to develop a top line midfield, we could do a lot worse than draft this pair with picks 3 and 7 respectively. There are some however, who believe the club is interested in Curnow and that he could end up as one of the modern prototype tall midfielders.

To me however, Parish is the stand out for pick three and I would not be unhappy if the club's recruiters took Mathieson with their second pick at seven (or whatever number it turns out to be after taking into account the bidding selections).

There are too many imponderables to come out with a definitive second pick for Melbourne in this draft but I would be most surprised if Parish's name wasn't called out in three weeks time. His selection would give the club the best three midfielders available to the club from the last two drafts and set it up better in this area than at any time since the introduction of the draft system.

The only other contender would be Curnow but on my viewing, the latter isn't even in the same parish. But Inside Football's Brett Anderson believes otherwise so in the interests of providing a semblance of balance, this is worth viewing.

https://vimeo.com/136785936/description

Here are the SEN Inside Football profiles of Parish, Mathieson and Curnow which are essentially quotes from their TAC Cup coach:-

Darcy Parish Geelong Falcons DOB: 25/7/97 Ht: 180cm Wt: 74kg

"Darcy is our best player. Last year as a bottom-ager he played off half back and learned to play as a defender and this year went into the midfield and forward at times. He wins the contested ball but is probably more damaging on the outside. The talk about him is going top five and I think that's where he's at. For his size he is super competitive and a ripper to coach. You can really challenge him and teach him about the game and he takes everything on board. Wherever he goes, they will have a lot of fun working with him" - Geelong Falcons coach Andy Althorpe"

Rhys Mathieson Geelong Falcons DOB: 10/1/97 Ht: 186cm Wt: 82kg

"Rhys is an inside midfielder and I think he has a lot of improvement in his game. Really good at winning the footy inside the contest, is a great competitor who plays to win but I feel there are so many more elements that can become part of his game. Can go forward and kick goals but when he develops his bigger picture of the game he'll become a better player. I can see his game improving markedly when he gets to an AFL club" - Geelong Falcons coach Andy Althorpe"

Charlie Curnow Geelong Falcons DOB: 3/2/97 Ht: 191cm Wt: 95kg

"Charlie is the brother of Ed and he got injure in the middle of the year. Our plan was to develop him into a midfielder to test him out there where he could use his athleticism. He has great ability to mark the ball at its highest point, his vision improved and he is still untapped in football potential" - Geelong Falcons coach Andy Althorpe"

Unlike club recruiters, I'm not paid to follow up on a myriad of players from junior footy to Under 16s and 18s. I haven't spoken to their families, junior coaches, schoolteachers or seen them dozens of times live in games and on the training track or had the opportunity to interview the players themselves.

And I must confess that not long ago I was over the moon that Melbourne had just drafted Jimmy Toumpas who was in my view "stolen" at pick four. Before him it was Tom Scully and a year earlier, Jack Watts was the next big thing. You can go back to Colin Sylvia and Brock McLean and even Travis Johnstone. They were all talented and all were going to be champions but one way or another, in that respect, they turned out to be failed early draft picks who were either wrong choices or not properly developed as footballers by the club.

Those currently charged with the job of list management and recruiting seem to be doing something better in recent times so perhaps this time the club will get it right and develop an emerging midfield good enough to keep our forwards well fed and thereby to usher in a new era for the club.

[rpfc 28,480]

I am getting emotionally invested again!!!

But that Mathieson is very Bartel-like IMO...

[beelzebub 23,378]

I am getting emotionally invested again!!!

But that Mathieson is very Bartel-like IMO...

Oddly or not both prodigious talents very young (Parish ..Mathieson )

[mo64 5,875]

I am getting emotionally invested again!!!

But that Mathieson is very Bartel-like IMO...

I must be missing something when I see Mathieson's highlights. His disposal is haphazard, and that's being kind. All I see is a Liam Picken clone.

Edited November 5, 2015 by mo64

[stuie 7,374]

Sensational write up about the soon-to-be Demon WJ.

Appreciate your work.

[The Song Formerly Known As 6,479]

Sensational write up about the soon-to-be Demon WJ.

Appreciate your work.

you on the Parish train Stu?

[stuie 7,374]

you on the Parish train Stu?

I am, but to be honest I haven't paid anywhere near as much attention to potential draftees this year as I have in the last 5-6 years.

I guess that's a good sign.

[The Song Formerly Known As 6,479]

I am, but to be honest I haven't paid anywhere near as much attention to potential draftees this year as I have in the last 5-6 years.

I guess that's a good sign.

3 best midfielders available in the draft over the past two years. no excuses now melbourne, turn them into something.

[Bitter but optimistic 22,241]

Nice pun WJ.

[What 18,810]

Great work WJ

All the videos and info on Parish all in the one post. Its like a one stop Parish shop

Bring on the draft

[thevil1 421]

3 best midfielders available in the draft over the past two years. no excuses now melbourne, turn them into something.

Agree with your general sentiment, but I'm pretty sure Heeney & Mills would've been named in the top 3 mids from the last 2 years..... Here's hoping our boys develop better than the Swans kids!

Btw, thanks WJ for all the Parish info.

[Whispering_Jack 30,197]

Firstly, on the vision, I think it's worthwhile checking them out - I've also found while doing some research on players that sometimes the links no longer work after a while.

Secondly, the point about us getting the top three mids if we take Parish is the best three available to us so obviously, getting the best of the academy players is outside that range.

The club is holding an information evening for one of the supporter groups which I'm in during the last week before the draft. There was a similar one last year where Jason Taylor and Todd Viney were as open and as frank as they could possibly be i.e "the best three players are Brayshaw, McCartin and Petracca [no particular order]. St Kilda will take one and we'll take the other two". I hope that they will be able to tell us something similar in two week's time.

[hells bells 2,023]

I spoke to a family member of a current player yesterday and he said it was expected that they would take Parish at 3. Whether he was speculating or had heard from inside the club I couldn't be sure. Anyway thought I'd pass it on.

[dazzledavey36 54,949]

Been sold on Parish for a while.. but i have this yuk feeling i had when i got emotionally attached to Wines only to find out we would be taking Toumpas. Hope its not a repeat..

[Moonshadow 17,676]

Good Parish post WJ.

Bless you.

[ben russell 764]

I am sold on this kid and really hope we select him with our pick 3.

I know that taller midfielders are all the rage at the moment and some think that Parish is too short. Cast your eyes over this list of current players that are within 2cms of Parish or shorter and hopefully it will allay any fears;

Rory Sloane: 183

Marc Murphy: 180

Steele Sidebottom: 180

Lachie Neale: 176

Joel Selwood: 182

Jaeger O'Meara: 182

Gary Ablett: 182

Dion Prestia: 175

Stephen Coniglio: 181

Dylan Shiel: 181

Sam Mitchell: 179

Nathan Jones: 180

Jack Viney: 178

Andrew Swallow: 182

Brent Harvey: 167

Travis Boak: 183

Robbie Gray: 183

Jack Steven: 180

Leigh Montagna: 178

Dan Hannebery: 181

Kieran Jack: 178

Andrew Gaff: 181

Luke Shuey: 183

Not too shabby a list that!

[jackaub 1,402]

I am sold on this kid and really hope we select him with our pick 3.

I know that taller midfielders are all the rage at the moment and some think that Parish is too short. Cast your eyes over this list of current players that are within 2cms of Parish or shorter and hopefully it will allay any fears;

Rory Sloane: 183

Marc Murphy: 180

Steele Sidebottom: 180

Lachie Neale: 176

Joel Selwood: 182

Jaeger O'Meara: 182

Gary Ablett: 182

Dion Prestia: 175

Stephen Coniglio: 181

Dylan Shiel: 181

Sam Mitchell: 179

Nathan Jones: 180

Jack Viney: 178

Andrew Swallow: 182

Brent Harvey: 167

Travis Boak: 183

Robbie Gray: 183

Jack Steven: 180

Leigh Montagna: 178

Dan Hannebery: 181

Kieran Jack: 178

Andrew Gaff: 181

Luke Shuey: 183

Not too shabby a list that!

Looks like short list wJ

[TRIGON 4,783]

Aye, but he's not drawing a long bow.

[TRIGON 4,783]

On a more serious note what I like about Parish is that he seems to have the speed of thought and awareness that will make teammates around him flourish.

[sue 9,107]

I've no idea if Parish is the bee's knees and am happy to assume he is from the enthusiasm displayed here.

But after viewing some of that match I'm convinced of one thing - take no notice of highlight reels. I watched most of the last quarter and got the impression Parish was nothing special. While he got the ball a bit, almost every time he got the ball he kicked it forward wildly and some of his handpasses were B-grade. Did I miss something?

Fortunately the recruiters, and I presume even posters here, do more than look at the odd quarter.

[Adzman 2,154]

I'm not concerned with Parish's height. 180 is fine for a midfielder.

[Ted Lasso 19,518]

I will start this off by saying i clearly rate Parish.

but he reminds me alot of Jono O'rourke

talent means nothing if you don't have the attitude, coaches to make use of it

he could be O'rourke or he could be Andrew Gaff.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Why not kick off the young kids' threads with this bloke [from Knightmare on bigfooty]

Darcy Parish (VIC MID)

Height: 181cm, Weight: 73kg, DOB: 25/07/1997

Recruited from: Geelong Falcons

Player Comparison: Marc Murphy

Range: 1-10

Best position/role: Midfield combination.

Strengths:

Inside/outside ability Parish in this draft of all the midfielders has the best inside/outside game balance, and it is unusual for a midfielder to be proficient in both areas. Parish can win the contested footy to a good level and can win some clearances, but then also has the footskills, pace, composure and ability to find the outside ball in bunches.

Footskills Parish is a very good user of the footy. He uses it efficiently and can hit his targets over short, medium and long distance. In traffic he is quick getting the ball onto his boot. He has good penetration with a 50m 55m kick on him and can finish when within range from goal.

Vision Parish has excellent vision finding some good targets other will often miss. When a guy is in a central position and open hell find them and similarly kicking into the forward 50 he finds the open man and puts it out in front of them for the easy mark.

Decision making ability Parish is an excellent decision maker, particularly with time and space on the outside. On the outside he will find his targets up the field but also picks and chooses the right time to go to a target in the centre of the ground or go for a higher risk long target up the field.

Run and carry ability Parish is a very good run and carry player consistently showing a real willingness when he has space in front of him to take on the game with his run. He is not freakishly fast, but has above average pace and critically uses it in game.

Versatility Parish is a very versatile player. He is able to play both as an inside and outside midfielder to a high standard. He can also play in the back half having spent most of the 2014 season playing off a back flank where he showed he could set up play by foot, provide some run and carry and take some intercept marks.

Ability to read the flight Parish reads the flight very well behind the ball, reading the flight early on a consistent basis enabling him to peel off his direct opponent for easy intercept marks. He has clean hands overhead and uncontested is a reliable mark.

Contested ball winning ability Parish has developed into a very capable contested ball winner this season, managing high contested possession numbers throughout the season.

Inside game Parish has proven that he can win the contested footy and clearances this season, proving that he is able to play as an inside midfielder to a high level. When under pressure after winning the footy he can release the ball quickly by hand and foot, and generally do so reliably, which in combination with his good contested ball winning ability and good tackling ability makes him an effective inside player.

Production Parish has the performances behind him as a long time high level performer and accumulator and he has only increased that now that this year he is playing as a permanent midfielder. With his performances on the board with his ability to find the footy inside and outside the contest, provide run and carry, use the footy and the read the flight of the ball, it is fair to assume that he can play as soon as round one, year one as an AFL standard performer today.

Athleticism Parish is not a great but certainly a very good athlete. He has excellent agility and very good pace and leaping ability. His endurance is also good. So while he is not elite in any one athletic category and it is not a point of difference for him, he none the less athletically stacks up well in each category.

Questionmarks:

Height/size As a relatively smaller and shorter midfielder Parish to an extent may be limited as to just how good he can become. At 181cm he is hardly likely to get forward and take contested grabs or lead his team in contested possessions or clearances through the midfield. But its hardly stopping him from being a high level pro. Its more just what probably stops him from being the absolute number one best player in this draft class.

Weaknesses:

Lack of a point of difference Parish overall is a very well rounded footballer but he lacks that one thing that sets him apart from everyone in the competition which for me suggests he wont be a franchise level player for a team and more likely one of your better 2-3 midfielders.

Contested marking ability Parish while a clean and reliable mark overhead is not someone who will take contested grabs or 1v1 marks with frequency as evidenced by the fact that he only took one contested mark through 14 TAC Cup games last season.

I've liked the look of this kid since earlier in this season from the video of him I saw. looks really busy winning plenty of footy. reminds me of scully from back in his day a bit.

.... but scully I was more concerned with, just didn't see the x -factor in $cull.

haven't sen enough of parish to define the differences but get the felling he has more feel for the game? just a sense i have?

However I'm more concerned right now, with finding a quality partner/foil for Hogan, one who is tall enough & with enough mongrel in his makeup, to crash in as a follower as well.

Edited November 8, 2015 by dee-luded

[M_9 2,082]

I am sold on this kid and really hope we select him with our pick 3.

I know that taller midfielders are all the rage at the moment and some think that Parish is too short. Cast your eyes over this list of current players that are within 2cms of Parish or shorter and hopefully it will allay any fears;

...

Travis Boak: 183

...

I catch up with Trav most times he returns home. He's now as tall, or taller than I am, and I'm 188cm. He may be listed as 183cm, but he ain't.

[daisycutter 29,616]

I catch up with Trav most times he returns home. He's now as tall, or taller than I am, and I'm 188cm. He may be listed as 183cm, but he ain't.

he certainly looks more than 183 (6'0") on the field