Not normally one for fanfare, Joe Daniher introduced the home down in a short retirement speech on the Lions‘ end-of-season dinner on Thursday evening.
The membership had solely hours earlier confirmed Saturday’s 10-goal grand last win over the Swans was Daniher’s final AFL sport.
On the dinner, Daniher was known as on stage by coach Chris Fagan, who had simply revealed the 30-year-old would have retired a yr earlier if the Lions had gained the 2023 grand last over the Magpies.
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In typical Daniher model, he spoke for barely a minute. After a quip to Fagan that drew raucous laughter from the gang, he mentioned he’d ship most of his thankyous in non-public, however took the chance to publicly thank two teams.
“I lastly get the mic. I am at all times chomping (champing) on the bit for a little bit of media,” he mentioned to laughs from the gang.
Joe Daniher talking on the Lions’ end-of-season dinner. Brisbane Lions
“To the Essendon soccer membership and extra particularly Essendon supporters, it is a difficult time frame for that membership. However as a participant I at all times felt supported by the followers and for that I am very grateful.
“To Brisbane Lions, Fitzroy and the Brisbane Bears supporters, thanks a lot for embracing me, letting me come right here and have a kick and stuff up a bit on the sector and get one other kick and stuff up once more after which maintain making an attempt.
“We bought there in the long run. To exit and get a premiership is what this membership deserves, what so many individuals on this room deserve, and I am very pleased to be a small a part of it.”
The 30-year-old was contracted to the Lions for subsequent season. His storied profession contains an Anzac Medal and All-Australian nod in 2017, Essendon’s Crichton Medal in 2017 and a Rising Star nomination in 2014.
Daniher was pivotal in Brisbane’s 60-point win in opposition to Sydney. He kicked 2.4 and racked up 16 disposals, together with eight marks and 4 clearances after being thrown into the competition for back-up ruck Darcy Fort.
Within the dying minutes, Daniher kicked Brisbane’s last purpose to place the “last stamp” on the match.
He was subsequently mobbed by teammates in celebration as his mother and father, Anthony and Edna, have been additionally captured crying within the stands. This out-of-character present of emotion induced many pundits to lift an eyebrow.
Identified to maintain to himself, Daniher was fast to dodge any direct questions post-match and rapidly disappeared from Brisbane’s most important dressing room, as an alternative spending time together with his household in an adjoining room.
Joe Daniher of the Lions celebrates after scoring a purpose. Robert Cianflone/AFL Photographs by way of Getty Photographs
In an earlier membership assertion, Daniher mentioned he gave his “absolute all” to the Lions and the Bombers.
“I’m extraordinarily pleased with what I achieved individually and as a workforce,” Daniher mentioned in a membership assertion.
“I’m tremendously grateful for the alternatives given to me by each Brisbane and Essendon and I need to thank each golf equipment and their unimaginable followers for his or her assist.
“It has been an unimaginable journey right here on the Brisbane Lions to go from a membership that was actually struggling on the backside of the ladder to successful a premiership.
Lincoln McCarthy and Daniher share a hug after the grand last win. AFL Photographs by way of Getty Photographs
“As I end up my profession, I achieve this with the membership in a terrific place on and off the sector and I am unable to wait to see the Brisbane Lions expertise extra success sooner or later.
“I’m past excited by the squad now we have on the Lions and particularly the younger expertise now we have coming by means of which might be the longer term stars of this membership.
“I need to thank everybody that has performed an element in my AFL profession and serving to me turn into the participant and individual I’m at the moment.”
In accordance with main AFL journalist Damian Barrett, Brisbane officers made a “concerted pitch” to vary Daniher’s thoughts following the grand last.
Since debuting for the Essendon in 2013, Daniher has gone on to play 204 senior video games throughout 12 seasons between the Bombers and Lions — booting 395 targets within the course of.
After being taken by Essendon at decide 10 as a father-son choice within the 2012 nationwide draft, Daniher made the transfer to Brisbane forward of the 2021 season.
In his last season, Daniher featured in 27 video games the place he averaged 15 disposals, six marks and two targets a sport.
His efforts led to choice within the 44-man All-Australian squad for a second consecutive yr.
The information implies that one of many VFL/AFL longest streaks will proceed with no premiership workforce in historical past capable of discipline the identical line-up in a subsequent match.
