The length of Essendon midfielder Darcy Parish's contract is reportedly understood to be longer than what might've been advertised by the club when his long-term extension at Tullamarine was announced.
Parish recommitted to the Bombers in August, turning his back on free agency in favour of a deal that will see his tenure in the red and black extended for the next five seasons.
The club's announcement stated that Parish "will don the sash until at least 2028", with no word on the exact length of the freshly signed contract extension currently written in the announcement.
Parish's decision came after a reported impasse in negotiations between the All-Australian and the club, with the 26-year-old's management said to be seeking a deal of six years instead of the five offered by the club.
According to SEN, Parish's contract with Essendon is said to be six years long, which would take him to the end of 2029 instead of 2028.
The unspecific terminology used in the announcement of Parish's new deal is sure to raise eyebrows among Essendon members seeking transparent updates from the club.
The deal was a major retention for the Dons in what was a significant season of re-signings at The Hangar, with Parish joined by fellow free agent Mason Redman in inking a long-term deal and knocking back external interest.
Key forward and best and fairest winner Peter Wright also re-signed with the club early into the year, while wingman Nic Martin penned a new deal until 2027 this week.
The Bombers added a quartet of names to their list over the recent player movement period, with Ben McKay and Todd Goldstein joining from North Melbourne, while Jade Gresham and Xavier Duursma also made the move to Essendon from St Kilda and Port Adelaide respectively.
Parish has played 150 games in the red sash since joining the club as a top five draft selection eight years ago, winning an All-Australian selection and Anzac Day Medal in a breakout 2021 campaign.