Darcy Parish's impressive form could earn him a hefty pay rise, according to two AFL legends.
Parish wrote his name into Essendon's history books by collecting 44 touches last night, the most disposals of any Bomber in history and was awarded the Yiooken Medal for best afield, which he will place alongside his ANZAC Day Medal from earlier this season.
Anzac Medal and Yiooken Medal in the same year.
Darcy Parish has arrived. pic.twitter.com/xDifbR5uJQ
— 7AFL (@7AFL) June 5, 2021
The turnaround in form has not gone unnoticed by rival teams as Parish is out of contract at the end of the year and two former AFL greats have set the price tag on Parish should he re-sign with the Bombers.
Speaking on Fox Footy after the game, four-time premiership player Jordan Lewis believes the 23-year-old is worth $650,000.
โIโd go $650,000,โ Lewis toldย Fox Footy and reported by SEN's Alex Zaia.
โI think heโs done enough this season. I think his game has gone to another level, heโs matured a lot, heโs played well in big games which is a good sign of maturity.
โHeโs around the $600,000-$650,000 mark for me.โ
Parish averages 31.4 disposals and ranks number one in the AFL for total centre clearances in 12 games this season.
Darcy Parish wins the Yiooken Medal.
He set the record for most disposals ever by an Essendon player. pic.twitter.com/qXL5mUN2Yt
— 7AFL (@7AFL) June 5, 2021
The Bombers will hope to secure his signature as well as teammate Zach Merrett who is drawing increasing interest from rival clubs.
Merrett is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and Western Bulldogs great Brad Johnson believes the Bombers should offer no more than $800,000 a season.
โIโm talking what the Essendon Football Club should pay him,โ Johnson explained.
โHeโll get more on the open market. If heโs going to stay at Essendon, itโs around that mark for me.โ
The revitalisation at the Bombers under Ben Rutten and the emergence of promising young talent could sway the pair to re-sign for under their market value.
