Essendon’s top pick in last season’s National Draft, Darcy Parish, will make his first appearance for the Club on Sunday in the side’s opening NAB Challenge match against Carlton.

The Bombers secured the former Geelong Falcon with the fifth overall selection last November.

Coach John Worsfold said Parish had adapted well to life as a professional footballer.

“Darcy has had a wonderful pre-season and he’s ready to go,” he said.

“He’s done all of the work and he hasn’t looked out of place (during) all of our competitive work.

“He’s looking forward to it and it will be great to see him run out for us in that first hit out.”

Fellow draftees Michael Hartley and Mitch Brown were also named in the 29-man squad that will be trimmed to 26 before the first bounce.

Worsfold said he would be conscious of getting the appropriate ground time in to each player throughout the NAB Challenge.

“The next three weeks are really important in terms of the loading of playing volume in to the players,” he said. 

“That’s the main focus – mapping it out so we don’t overwork them, they get enough to feel like they’re ready for the season.

“We don’t want to go out with one really young squad in any given week, so (we’re) trying to balance that out as well.”