He made his debut in the opening round of the 2016 AFL season against Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium.

[5] 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 Melbourne.

[6] He played 20 games in his debut season, polling 19 votes to finish fourth in the Ron Evans Medal.

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.

[7] 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.