COURTENAY Dempsey is keen to play on at Essendon next year but the club has not yet opened talks with the unrestricted free agent.

The 28-year-old has been in solid form for the Bombers this season playing off half-back, offering run, drive and experience to a young Essendon line-up. 

He signed a one-year deal at the end of 2015 to extend his stay at Essendon into an 11th season, but was made to return to pre-season training in better shape before being offered the deal.

Dempsey's manager Shane Casley told AFL.com.au that his client was pushing to continue his career at Essendon in 2017. 

"Certainly he'd be keen to play on. It's normally about round 16 or 17 when we usually have a chat, but he's been playing some good footy and I'm sure he'll want to play on with the Bombers next year," Casley said.

"But we haven't sat down with the club yet, and I haven't sat down with Courtenay about it yet, and we'll do that over the next couple of weeks." 

The Sydney Swans showed some interest in Dempsey last year as an unrestricted free agent, and he again qualifies for that form of free agency at the end of this year. 

It means he will be able to leave the Bombers at the end of the year and automatically join another club without Essendon having the option to match a bid, but Casley said Dempsey's preference is to stay at the Bombers. 

"I think his performances have been pretty solid," Casley said.

"He's come back how they wanted him to be and he's had a good season so he's done that and no doubt we'll have a chat in the next couple of weeks."

The Bombers' list management team faces different challenges to most clubs this season as it juggles the return of suspended players with regular delisting decisions.

Six of the 12 banned Bombers have committed to return to the club next year, with captain Jobe Watson, Michael Hurley, Michael Hibberd, Ben Howlett, Brent Stanton and Tayte Pears yet to announce their plans.

The Bombers have a further 17 players on their list who remain out of contract for next year, including stand-in captain Brendon Goddard, but have started talks to extend the contract of young gun Darcy Parish.

Parish's standard initial two-year deal expires at the end of next year but he has starred in his debut season, averaging 21 disposals in 15 games. He is among the leading contenders for this year's NAB AFL Rising Star award.