Essendon young gun Sam Durham dating top model Paris Bishop

Emerging Essendon star Sam Durham has turned out with his high-profile Melbourne model girlfriend for the first time.

Promising Essendon midfielder Sam Durham has gone public with his high-profile fashion model girlfriend, Paris Bishop.

Durham, 22, was the ninth pick in the 2021 mid-season draft and has played 53 games for the Bombers, including four of the club’s five matches in 2024 to date.

Watch every game of every round this Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today >

Melbourne beauty Bishop is signed to the Chadwick Models agency and regularly posts paid promotions on social media, boasting 171,000 followers on Instagram.

The pair made their public debut this week at the Melbourne premiere of the new Zendaya movie, Challengers.

Durham later confirmed his relationship with Bishop in a statement.

The couple is yet to be photographed together, Bishop posed for photos at the movie premiere, but they follow each other on Instagram.

Sam Durham and Paris Bishop. Photos: News Corp/Instagram

“We are still pretty fresh … but have been seeing each other for a while,” Bishop told the Herald Sun.

Bishop also made a surprise appearance in the Essendon rooms following last Friday night’s victory over the Bulldogs.

Durham is from the small town of Seymour in the Goulburn Valley, Victoria.

He is clearly impressing Essendon officials, signing a four-year contract extension last month keeping him at the Bombers through the end of 2028.

Paris Bishop at the premiere of Challengers earlier this week. Photo: Fiona Hamilton

Durham has impressed during his time with the Bombers. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

It’s a massive vote of confidence for a player that had to fight for his AFL career through the mid-season draft, having been overlooked for the national draft for two straight years.

Durham told the AFL website last month his background helped him during his battle to reach the highest level.

“Growing up in a country town, country boys are a bit tougher than the city boys,” he said.

“I’ve had some tough mentors in my life and you don’t really shy away from it.

“It’s always been the way that if you go in hard you’ll be right.”

The Bombers have won three games this year to sit 10th on the ladder and Durham will line-up in Friday night’s clash with the Crows in Adelaide.

Originally published as Essendon young gun Sam Durham dating top model Paris Bishop