Joe Daniher tells Essendon he wants to be traded to Sydney

Essendon star Joe Daniher has informed the Bombers that he wishes to be traded to the Sydney Swans.

Daniher, 25, who has played for seven years at Essendon, has told the Dons that he wants a trade to the Swans for lifestyle reasons. He wishes to live in Sydney.

Daniher formally informed Essendon's head of football Dan Richardson and list and recruiting general manager Adrian Dodoro of his wish to be traded to the Swans on Thursday, at a meeting with the player and his management, TLA, at their offices in Hawthorn. His manager Nigel Carmody and TLA's Adam Ramanauskas were present.

Joe Daniher.Credit: AAP

Daniher specifically cited a wish to live in Sydney for lifestyle reasons. He told the officials that the club's handling of his groin injury - which has caused him to play only 11 games over the past two seasons - was not a consideration in his decision, and was supportive of the how club's medical staff had dealt with him, Richardson having pressed Daniher on whether there was any issue.

Daniher did not elaborate on why he wanted to live in Sydney for lifestyle reasons, but sources said it was assumed that Daniher, like past key forwards such as Lance Franklin and Tony Lockett, was attracted to the idea of being outside of football-obsessed Melbourne and wanted a more relaxed setting.

Essendon will play hard-ball on a trade, viewing Daniher as a required player. Bombers' sources said the Swans would find it difficult to satisfy them in a trade, given that draft picks would not be sufficient when the club had lost a gun key forward and would need to replace him.

TLA shapes as a key player in the dealings, given the management has easily the largest group of AFL players and has brokered deals by finding clients willing to be traded in the past.

Essendon's Joe Daniher.Credit: AAP

Daniher is contracted for next year only when he is due to become a restricted free agent.  Sydney have pick five in the national draft which is all but certain to be on offer to Essendon in exchange for Daniher, who was eligible to join either Essendon or the Swans as a father-son recruit.

The Bombers had attempted to discuss a contract extension with Daniher this year, but he opted not to engage in any talks, in what was a sign that he might be entertaining a move.

The potential trading of small forward Tom Papley to Carlton would likely hand the Swans pick no 9, which could be used as part of the Daniher trade, possibly involving other parties, too.

Sydney's interest in Daniher first surfaced when The Age revealed in August of a private meeting between the key forward and Sydney CEO Tom Harley - at Harley's home.

While the Swans confirmed the meeting at the time they downplayed the possibility of Daniher joining them in a trade. The expectation is that Daniher has been offered a long-term deal by Sydney at close to a million dollars per season.

Daniher is one of the game's best key forwards but has been hampered by groin injuries in 2018 and 2019 after winning Essendon's best-and-fairest in 2017 and making the All-Australian side.

The groin injuries that restricted him to 11 games over 2018 and 2019 have seen him consult with a number of specialists.

In a statement issued on Saturday afternoon, Dodoro confirmed that Daniher had cited a change in lifestyle and preference to live in Sydney as the motivation behind his request.

"The club acknowledges the reason behind this request from Joe, however he is a contracted player to the Essendon Football Club," Dodoro said.

"He is a very highly regarded player at our club, and we have advised Joe that ultimately we want him playing for the Bombers in 2020.

"We will remain in contact with Joe’s management over the course of the upcoming AFL trade period."

Daniher is set to go overseas shortly and his request for a trade has been widely anticipated in AFL circles.

If the Bombers held Daniher to his contract in 2020 and did not trade him to the Swans, he would be eligible for free agency next year, although Essendon would have the right to match any free agency offer.

The Dons would likely be in a stronger trading position now than next year. If Daniher is granted his wish to become a Swan, he would continue Sydney's pattern of landing high-profile star forwards - namely Tony Lockett, Barry Hall (both from St Kilda) and Lance Franklin.

Daniher's father Anthony played more than 100 games for both the Swans and the Bombers which made Joe Daniher eligible for both clubs under father son rules.

Daniher was given lucrative offers by both clubs before ultimately choosing Essendon where his older brother Darcy had already played and where his three uncles, Terry, Neale and Chris also played in a period stretching from 1978 until well into the 1990s.

The Daniher request is set to be the biggest potential trade in the upcoming trade period, which opens on Monday.