When Brisbane runs out for the AFL grand last on Saturday afternoon, star ahead Joe Daniher shall be on the centre of the membership’s makes an attempt to win its first premiership since 2004.
He starred in final yr’s grand last in opposition to Collingwood and was the match-winner when the Lions overturned a 44-point deficit in an epic semifinal in opposition to the GWS Giants a fortnight in the past.
Nonetheless, if his needs had been granted 5 years in the past, he would have been operating out by the Sydney Swans banner on grand last day.
Right here is the story of how Joe Daniher nearly ended up with the Swans earlier than ultimately touchdown and thriving in Brisbane.
Swans rejected early as prodigy picks Bombers
The Daniher title is synonymous with the Essendon Soccer Membership, however what usually will get misplaced is the household’s reference to the Swans and New South Wales on the whole.
Joe’s father Anthony performed for each Essendon and South Melbourne/Sydney throughout his 233-game profession. Anthony gained the Swans greatest and fairest in 1985 earlier than shifting throughout to the Bombers for the beginning of the 1987 season. He was an All-Australian in 1991 with Essendon and performed within the Bombers’s shedding 1990 grand last staff.
Joe’s uncle Terry famously performed 294 video games for the Bombers between 1978 and 1992, captaining Essendon to premierships in 1984 and 1985, however started his profession taking part in 19 video games for the Swans in 1976 and 1977.
The Danihers had been born and raised in NSW, spending a number of their time in Ungarie, a small city over 500 kilometres west of Sydney.
The Daniher brothers, Terry, Neale, Chris and Anthony made historical past by taking part in on the identical staff in 1990. (Getty Photographs)
Joe’s different uncles, Neale and Chris, additionally had AFL careers. Neale is extensively thought-about to be probably the most proficient out of the 4, however had his profession lower quick by accidents. He later loved a profitable stint within the coaches’ field with Melbourne between 1998 and 2007. Chris performed 124 video games for the Bombers between 1987 and 1997 and performed within the Bombers’s 1993 premiership staff.
They made historical past for Essendon in 1990 when all 4 performed collectively in opposition to St Kilda, the primary time in VFL/AFL historical past that 4 brothers had performed on the identical staff.
Given his father performed over 100 video games for each the Swans and Bombers, Joe had the selection of taking part in for both membership below the father-son rule.
On the finish of 2010, the 16-year-old knowledgeable the Swans that he was set to hitch Essendon through the 2012 draft.
Daniher turned down the chance to be drafted by Sydney when he nominated Essendon forward of the 2012 draft. (Getty Photographs: Chris Hyde)
”Joe’s been on our radar for some time however we spent a while attending to know him and spoke to individuals who know him. However he took his time too, and that is what Joe’s like,” Essendon’s soccer boss Paul Hamilton stated on the time.
”As a lot as we’re getting a really proficient younger footballer, we’re additionally getting a really mature younger man. He did not wish to make a fast choice, he wished to look by each choices, and he spent a while at each golf equipment earlier than making his thoughts up.
”We’re simply actually excited that … he is determined he desires to play for us and, hopefully, play a number of AFL soccer along with his brother.
”I believe it is a actually good endorsement of the event program we have put in place, that Joe’s determined we’re the proper membership for him, and it is a incredible alternative for us and our conditioning workers as nicely. We have a two-year window now to get him prepared, and that is solely going to assist him.”
Youth amid turmoil at Essendon
Securing Joe’s dedication was a big win for the Bombers, particularly after assembling what was seen as a training dream staff with James Hird and Mark Thompson on the helm.
Joe was thought-about to be one of many high prospects within the 2012 draft class which featured Lachie Whitfield, Jake Stringer, Jack Macrae, Ollie Wines and Nick Vlastuin within the high 10.
After spending just a few years coaching sporadically with the Bombers, Joe formally turned an Essendon participant when he was drafted with the tenth decide.
“Joe is a uncommon expertise. A key ahead/ruckman who can dominate the air and likewise be nearly as good at floor degree,” Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd stated when Joe was drafted.
“Joe is among the most enjoyable key forwards to come back into the sport for a very long time.”
Highlights of Joe’s high-flying marks and booming left-foot kicks throughout his junior profession invoked recollections of Lloyd, who had retired on the finish of 2009 because the Bombers’s all-time main objective kicker. It appeared as if the membership had just about immediately discovered his substitute.
“It is a actually massive aid for me simply to lastly be right here and holding an Essendon jumper,” Joe stated moments after being handed his Essendon jumper by Hird.
However simply months after being drafted, Joe’s profession was plunged into controversy earlier than he had performed a recreation when Essendon was compelled to self-report to the AFL on the eve of the 2013 season over its 2012 dietary supplements program.
A robust finals debut and regular rise to stardom
Joe was made to attend till Spherical 11 of the 2013 season to make his debut, and acquitted himself nicely, tallying 15 disposals in a five-point win over Carlton.
He adopted this up with 17 touches and three targets in a win over the Gold Coast Suns, with one in every of them approaching the run from outdoors 50 metres.
The Bombers had been booted out of the finals as a result of dietary supplements saga, so Joe needed to wait to play on the most important stage.
When the 2014 season rolled round, Joe was a mainstay in Essendon’s aspect in Thompson’s yr as interim coach. The younger ahead performed 21 video games and kicked 28 targets, because the Bombers this time made the finals.
Joe starred within the elimination last in opposition to North Melbourne, kicking 4 targets, however wound up on the shedding aspect because the Bombers coughed up a 27-point half-time result in lose by 12 factors. A decade on, this stays the closest Essendon has come to profitable a last since 2004.
Joe Daniher was named to the 2017 All-Australian staff after kicking a career-best 65 targets for the Bombers, together with three in a last. (Getty Photographs: Adam Trafford)
Regardless of his membership persevering with to be hampered by the after-effects of the dietary supplements scandal, Joe’s star continued to rise.
He was a lone shining mild in a forgettable 2015 season, kicking 34 targets, earlier than following it up with 43 targets in 2016, a yr the place the 34 gamers concerned within the 2012 dietary supplements program had been suspended.
There was large optimism surrounding the Bombers in the beginning of 2017 when the likes of Dyson Heppell, Michael Hurley and Cale Hooker had been welcomed again after serving their suspensions. The mix of the returning gamers with younger stars reminiscent of Joe and Zach Merrett had Bombers followers daring to dream.
Joe turned in a career-best season. He was named an All-Australian and gained Essendon’s greatest and fairest after kicking 65 targets. He additionally added the Anzac Medal and the Mark of the Yr award.
The Bombers appeared to have a transformative star to construct their subsequent premiership assault round, and went procuring on the finish of 2017, including Adam Saad, Devon Smith and Jake Stringer forward of the 2018 season.
Nightmare three-year run of accidents halts ascent
Regardless of coming into 2018 as a preferred pre-season premiership smoky, Joe and the Bombers stumbled out of the gates.
He kicked two targets within the first recreation of the season, a win over 2017 minor premiers Adelaide, however was then held goalless in Spherical 2 in opposition to Fremantle, the primary time he’d didn’t kick a objective since Spherical 7, 2016.
The Bombers sputtered out to a 2-5 begin by the primary seven video games of the season, and Joe’s signature explosiveness was notably lacking as he managed simply eight targets.
Scans undertaken after the Spherical 7 loss to Hawthorn, the place he’d been held to 11 disposals and a objective, revealed an early onset of osteitis pubis, and the Bombers shut down their star man for the remainder of the season.
Daniher was restricted to operating laps on the coaching observe for almost all of his last three seasons at Essendon. (Getty Photographs: Michael Dodge)
Hopes had been even larger at Essendon getting into 2019 after the acquisition of star midfielder Dylan Shiel throughout the commerce interval. Joe loved a powerful pre-season and appeared set for an enormous yr earlier than being struck down by a mysterious calf harm at coaching earlier than Spherical 1.
Essendon rushed its star ahead again for a Spherical 5 conflict in opposition to North Melbourne and JOe starred on Anzac Day the next week, however the comeback could be short-lived. Simply 4 video games into his return, the Bombers introduced Joe could be sidelined with a relapse of his osteitis pubis and would miss the rest of the season. After avoiding surgical procedure the primary time round, he went below the knife this time.
“Clearly I wish to be on the market with my teammates, however with the important thing individuals concerned on this course of we made the choice to go down this path with surgical procedure greater than probably,” Joe stated after the harm.
“I’ve felt like I’ve accomplished every little thing I might to get again up to now, however with this relapse, our choices at the moment are exhausted, which is clearly disappointing.”
An off-the-cuff assembly with Swans chief turns critical
Essendon was within the thick of a race to make the highest eight when Joe was noticed assembly with Sydney CEO Tom Harley in August 2019 as he travelled to the Harbour Metropolis to satisfy along with his surgeon following a groin operation earlier within the yr.
Each the Bombers and Swans initially poured chilly water on the concept he was discussing a transfer up north, and he too admitted afterwards that the preliminary catch-up wasn’t a couple of potential transfer.
“He was my mentor on the AIS (Academy). We caught up and had a superb dialogue about how I might do issues in life and what I wanted to do to progress in my off-field and stuff like that,” Joe stated of the assembly with Harley on the Rip By way of It podcast.
“Somebody clearly noticed me with him and blew up about me going to Sydney and at that time, I used to be like, ‘I am not going to go to Sydney.’
“There wasn’t even any chat of footy … because the yr saved unfolding I wasn’t getting too many wins with the physique and the on-field stuff, so I began to consider a change, a change of atmosphere, would that type of assist the harm, assist the psychological state of performing and taking part in AFL, so all these issues began to creep into my thoughts.”
Daniher had been earmarked by the Swans as a long-term substitute for Lance Franklin. (Getty Photographs: Mark Metcalfe)
Sydney had a historical past of poaching star forwards from rival golf equipment, having plucked Tony Lockett and Barry Corridor from St Kilda earlier than grabbing Lance Franklin from Hawthorn.
With Franklin coming in direction of the tip of his nine-year deal, Joe appeared like a logical substitute for the enduring ahead.
Joe formally submitted a commerce request previous to the 2019 commerce interval, and though the Swans and Bombers negotiated feverishly, a deal couldn’t be struck, leaving Joe to return to Bomberland.
“Essendon was incredible and the way we handled it was a very open dialogue and so they had been like, ‘It is in all probability not going to occur,’ and I used to be like, ‘Nicely, the outdated, if you aren’t getting in the event you do not ask,’ so I requested, ‘Are you able to make this occur?’ and so they had been like, ‘If we get one thing that we predict is honest, we’ll make it occur for you’, and I used to be like, ‘Alright good,'” Joe stated.
“I used to be abroad on the time and so they did not get one thing they thought was honest and we stated let’s knuckle down for the season.
“I felt fully wonderful rolling again (into Essendon).
“Some individuals may not have been thrilled or blissful, some teammates may not have been blissful, however you possibly can solely do in addition to you go, and I felt like I used to be placing in every little thing I might have, and it is unlucky I wasn’t getting the good thing about that, I wasn’t getting visible assist for the fellows (of), ‘I am out right here kicking targets for you guys, I am truly dedicated.'”
Daniher was accused of not rehabbing correctly by former Essendon teammate Brendon Goddard in 2019. (Getty Photographs: Michael Dodge)
Joe’s commerce request to the Swans was met with some anger in Essendon circles, specifically from ex-teammate Brendon Goddard, who accused him of not being diligent sufficient in his harm rehab.
“On this case, it does really feel like he owes the membership,” Goddard instructed RSN on the time.
“As a lot because the accidents affected him, he might’ve gone about it in a greater method along with his rehab, notably the primary time round.
“On the time I did not assume he devoted himself onerous sufficient to recovering and rehab, and giving himself one of the best likelihood to rise up and play and get himself proper.
“That is why it’s kind of disappointing.”
Joe’s well-known uncle Terry was additionally upset, calling his nephew’s choice to hunt greener pastures one which “makes you scratch your head a bit”.
Lions get in contact throughout last season with Bombers
A COVID-interrupted yr meant Joe struggled to get on the park as soon as once more for Essendon in 2020, in what could be his last yr with the membership.
He ultimately made his return in Spherical 14 in opposition to Hawthorn and kicked three targets in a match-winning effort, his final targets in Bombers colors.
Because the season progressed, Brisbane emerged as a contender for Joe’s companies, with membership CEO Greg Swann conserving tabs on the then-Bomber’s state of affairs.
Joe’s supervisor put him in contact with Lions coach Chris Fagan and then-Lions soccer boss David Noble to debate a possible transfer, and he joined the membership as a restricted free agent in October 2020 after Essendon selected to not match a three-year provide made by Brisbane.
“The prospect to play for Essendon is one thing I dreamt about and aspired to rising up,” Joe stated after the transfer.
Daniher offically joined Brisbane as a restricted free agent on the finish of 2020. (Getty Photographs: Jono Searle)
“I’ve made lifelong friendships there and it has helped form me as an individual. I am ceaselessly grateful to them and look ahead to seeing them progress below ‘Truck’ (ex-Essendon coach Ben Rutten).
“The transfer to Brisbane is a brand new problem I am actually wanting ahead to. I can not wait to relocate to Queensland, get to work with my new teammates and coaches and construct relationships throughout the membership.”
He had signed a three-year extension with Essendon halfway by 2017, however extremely these extra three years yielded simply 15 video games out of the star ahead.
Joe pointed to Brisbane’s observe file of getting gamers wholesome as a cause for his defection with the membership having revitalised the profession of small ahead Lincoln McCarthy, who had struggled to get on the park for Geelong earlier than becoming a member of the Lions in 2019.
Regardless of being beforehand inquisitive about Joe, the Swans stayed clear, opting to draft Logan McDonald with the No.4 decide within the 2020 draft as its Franklin successor as an alternative. Essendon acquired a first-round decide as compensation for shedding Joe and chosen Archie Perkins at No.9.
Finals success after arriving in Brisbane
Joe’s groin points have been a factor of the previous since arriving on the Lions.
The 30-year-old has performed at least 19 video games in every of his 4 seasons with the Lions. Saturday’s grand last shall be his twenty seventh recreation of the 2024 season, a career-high mark.
Outdoors of the horrid three-year stretch between 2018 and 2020, Joe has been extremely sturdy all through his profession. Take away the five-game debut season of 2013 and he has averaged only a hair below 23 video games a season within the remaining eight years of his profession.
Accidents and a scarcity of consistency have robbed him of reaching the lofty expectations set upon him when he was drafted. If not for that three-year run of groin points, Joe might nicely have added extra All-Australian jackets and might need a resume mirroring that of Cats star Jeremy Cameron, who’s arguably the best ahead of the post-Franklin, Tom Hawkins and Jack Riewoldt era.
It’s simple to take a look at Joe and surprise what he might have been, however doing so could be ignoring what he’s — probably the most harmful forwards within the competitors and a real big-game performer.
After that four-goal haul in his first last method again in 2014, he has continued to be a strong finals performer all through his profession.
In 12 finals, Joe has kicked 27 targets, together with 13 in final yr’s run to the grand last. He was one in every of Brisbane’s greatest in final yr’s decider, kicking three targets and grabbing 16 disposals.
The Lions might not have even made it this far this season if not for his game-breaking heroics within the last quarter in opposition to the Giants within the semifinal, the place he kicked 4 targets, with two of them coming within the last quarter.
Joe was held goalless within the preliminary last win over Geelong, however as he has proven all through his profession, quiet finals come few and much between for the proficient left-footer.
If he has one other match-winning effort for the Lions in Saturday’s decider, the Swans will look over and surprise what might have and, maybe, ought to have been.
