SUCH was Darcy Parish's desire to create an impression as soon as he walked into Essendon, there was barely a week in his first few months at the club where he didn't leave the training track with a bloodied nose

In his first few days at the club, at the end of 2015 after being that year's No.5 draft pick, Parish clashed heads at training and wore the brunt of the collision. But it didn't dent his attack on the ball, as the midfielder set himself to prove he was worth the early selection Essendon used on him.

"There probably wasn't a week where I didn't have a blood nose in that first bit. I'd be coming off every time putting the cotton buds up my nose to stop the bleeding," Parish told AFL.com.au this week.

"It became a bit of a habit and if I didn't get one then training probably hadn't gone too well. I wanted to get the respect off the boys and one way was to come out and compete and show a lot of effort at training. They definitely notice it."

They did, as has the wider football audience since he made his debut in round one last season. Parish averaged 20 disposals in his debut season, came fourth in the NAB AFL Rising Star award, and quickly became one of Essendon's most exciting and recognisable young players.

But his immediate impression on the top level has, in some ways, made it easy to forget Parish is not yet halfway into only his second AFL season. The flashy, hard-working, tough and instinctive midfielder has played 27 of a possible 29 games since landing at Essendon.

'I obviously have no intentions of leaving'

The notion that he was afforded extra opportunities in his first season because of the suspension-hit Essendon is misleading; he would have played anyway, perhaps just not in quite as prominent a role. But after being intent on winning a place in Essendon's team last year, Parish's focuses (and position) have slightly shifted in 2017. 

The 19-year-old remembers feeling a little robbed when the likes of Jobe Watson, Dyson Heppell and David Myers – all members of the midfield group – were banned by WADA for last season, given he had learned so much from them in his first two months at the club.

The changerooms felt a little lonelier, too. Parish was handed the No.3 guernsey, and after that day in January last year, his locker mates – Michael Hibberd (No.1), Tom Bellchambers (No.2), Watson (No.4) and Brent Stanton (No.5) – vacated. "It was a weird time. We were only just getting to know them, and then they were gone," Parish said. 

Having the majority of the group back has given Parish and the Bombers a boost. He watches Watson work his way around a stoppage and Heppell lift his arms to get out of trouble at training, and it has allowed Parish to not have to shoulder as much of the ball-winning duties on game-day. 

Last season Parish had to be more of an 'inside' player just to get his hands on the ball. This year, he's working hard to dash and dart away with it in his grasp.

"There's obviously some great midfielders who have come back so I've got to adapt my game and get more of a balance with outside and inside footy," Parish said.  

"It's been a lot easier having those guys back, so I haven't been getting as much contested footy as last year (average of 7.5 a game compared to 8.9 last year) so my balance is freeing me up a bit. I'm not doing as much as work as I did, so it's a bit easier on the body. I don't mind it and it's another aspect of my game I wanted to improve this year." 

Parish is a laidback and stress-free personality, but he is invested in the Bombers. He thinks plenty about the side and its room for improvement, as well as working hard to become the midfielder he believes he can be. His intensity at the club hasn't lessened his casual demeanour, however, with people at Essendon still smiling at Parish's ability to lighten a conversation with a laugh. 

But he still wants his team to be good as soon as possible, and has found the ups and downs of the Bombers so far this year to be frustrating. They have lost four of their past five games since claiming wins in the opening two rounds. 

"There are stages throughout games when you can see the way we want to play and the way we move the footy. But it's just doing it more consistently through the four quarters," he said.

"We're still learning each other's strengths and weaknesses. Come halfway through the year we'll probably start to really play our best footy and work well with one another." 

Parish, who remains out of contract at the end of this season, knows he can help his team get there – not just this year, but beyond. That's the aim, anyway. 

"I don't want to play my best games of footy at the start of my career, I want to work to something," he said.

"That middle section of your career is where you want to be playing the best possible games you can be throwing out each week. I'm definitely on the build to that and the last year and a half has flown by, but I'm working towards being the best I can in a couple of years' time. Hopefully I'll get there."

AFL Exchange, bite-sized: James Kelly's toughest opponent

In this extract from round eight's podcast, 300-gamer James Kelly joins Matt Thompson and Peter Ryan to discuss his baptism of fire into the AFL and his toughest ever opponent.

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