Parish was recruited by the Essendon Football Club with the fifth overall selection in the
2015 national draft. He was rewarded with a nomination for the
2016 AFL Rising Star after he collected 21 disposals, 13 handball receives, eight tackles, and five inside-50s whilst kicking his first goal in the dying stages to seal a 13-point win against . He played 20 games in his debut season, polling 19 votes to finish fourth in the
Ron Evans Medal. He was played mainly on the wing and as a forward over his first 5 years in the competition. Following a spate of injuries early in 2021 to Essendon midfielders, Parish was moved into the centre square. Parish's form suddenly skyrocketed as he became one of the most dominant midfielders in the league, winning best-on-ground medals in the
ANZAC Day match,
Dreamtime at the 'G, and the Country Game, the latter two being all the more impressive due to being earned in large defeats. He broke Essendon's all-time disposal record against
Richmond, was named in the
All-Australian team, and finished 5th in the
Brownlow Medal, recording 26 votes after only polling in 1 of his 93 games prior. Parish struggled to maintain that form over the next couple of seasons, as he was hampered by injuries, however he still polled 15 votes in the
2023 Brownlow Medal count. At the end of the
2023 season, he signed a 5-year extension with Essendon, to keep him at the club until the end of the 2028 season. 2024 was another injury interrupted season for Parish, only managing 12 games for the season. ==Statistics==