Essendon's unsigned star pair Darcy Parish and Mason Redman have been categorically backed to recommit to the Bombers by one of their teammates.
Bombers utility Matt Guelfi believes Redman will "definitely" stay and would be "silly" not to, while he doubled down with the same belief about Parish.
Speaking on SEN WA's The Run Home, Guelfi expressed supreme confidence in Essendon's ability to retain the star duo, citing the club's positive future.
"Yeah, I'd reckon he'll definitely stay," Guelfi said.
"He'd be silly to leave now with what we're building."
Amid reported interest in Redman from the Adelaide Crows, Guelfi mentioned a little-known fact about Redman's South Australian allegiance, stating he's not as far from home as some people may think.
"Another fact is he's not actually from Adelaide. Everyone keeps saying he's from Adelaide but he's from about six hours out of Adelaide. It's just as close to Melbourne.
"We love big 'Redders', so he'll stay."
Regarding Parish, "definitely" was again Guelfi's prediction.
"Yeah, definitely (Parish will stay)," continued Guelfi.
"'Darce' loves the club. He only hangs out with his missus anyway, so he's not missing anyone back home in Geelong."
The Cats have been tied to Parish this year given his upbringing in Winchelsea, with the Bombers midfielder suiting the club's list management strategy of looking to lure top talent back toward the Geelong area.
Geelong football boss Simon Lloyd was questioned on the club's ties to the Bombers free agent, where he would note Parish may not be alone in their off-season strategy.
"We're constantly talking about players that are out of contract," Lloyd told 7 News.ย "So not just Darcy.
"He's a highly talented player. We're always talking about these things."
Guelfi and the Bombers are in West Australia to battle Fremantle on Saturday evening at Optus Stadium, as they hope to continue their impressive form into the back end of the year.
