Darcy Parish, Mason Redman on restricted free agency list, Brad Scott discusses Josh Mahoney, Adrian Dodoro feud
Essendon is the only club with multiple restricted free agents this year, with a bitter internal feud hovering over the pair of huge contract calls.
Star Bombers duo Darcy Parish and Mason Redman are joined by Adelaide’s Tom Doedee, GWS’ Harry Himmelberg, North Melbourne’s Ben McKay, Port Adelaide’s Charlie Dixon and St Kilda’s Jade Gresham as the AFL’s only remaining unsigned restricted free agents for 2023.
Parish and Redman have been vital to the Bombers’ 3-1 start to the season, with both players averaging career-highs in disposals per game through the first four rounds.
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The clubs hopes of retaining its star duo could be impacted by the relationship between football boss Josh Mahoney and recruitment guru Adrian Dodoro, and whether both men rate the two players the same way.
The breakdown in the pair’s relationship has been well-documented in recent weeks, with veteran AFL columnist Caroline Wilson referring to the situation as “a ticking time bomb”.
While Bombers coach Brad Scott described Mahoney and Dodoro’s relationship as “high-functioning”, he stressed the importance of there being off-field stability at the club.
Whether or not Essendon is able to find that stability could have an impact on Parish and Redman’s decisions.
“What I was guaranteed is that we would do our best to provide stability for the football club,” Scott told Nine’s Footy Classified this week.
“It’s difficult to be stable when you’ve got things going on in the background.
“The Josh and Adrian stuff, it goes on (but) it’s a high-functioning footy department at the moment.
“We have meetings on a daily basis and it’s not like they’re fighting on a daily basis. Do they disagree on things? Yes they do, but that’s what good committees should do, they should have robust debate.
“I think it’s a fully-functioning relationship. I don’t think you have to be best friends.
“They’re both very good operators in their own right. The stability for the footy club is what we’re after.”
Essendon is searching for a more steady football department after a season from hell in 2022 which resulted in mass turnover and prompted an external review into the club.
Parish, selected No.5 overall by the Bombers in the 2015 draft, has blossomed into one of the club’s dominant midfielders in recent years.
The 25-year-old, who is yet to decide on his future, currently ranks first in the AFL in total clearances and inside 50s, as well as ranking in the top five in disposals, total metres gained and effective disposals per game.
Redman has also blossomed into one of Essendon’s most important defenders in recent seasons.
Along with Redman and Parish, Essendon also has three unrestricted free agents on its list, with ex-captain Dyson Heppell joined by Will Snelling and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti.
Restricted free agents are out-of-contract players who have played nine or fewer years with their current club and are in the top quarter of the club’s salary bracket.
Unrestricted free agents are players who have played either eight or nine years at the club, are out-of-contract and not in the top quarter of earners, or an out-of-contract player with 10 or more years of service at the club.
Teams can match a rival club’s bid on a restricted free agent, thus forcing a trade to be brokered, whereas unrestricted free agents can simply walk to another club.
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