The Brisbane Lions will meet on Monday for the first serious time since the grand final and Joe Daniher’s surprising, but not shocking, decision to retire to decide what life will look like next year without their star full-forward.
After Joe “said it was so” days after the premiership and confirmed the pre-grand final rumours that he would retire, despite having another year at roughly $900,000 on his contract, the Lions have spent the past month celebrating the flag and digesting the Daniher news before meeting to craft a way forward.
Joe Daniher celebrates one of his two goals in this year’s grand final.Credit: Getty Images
Finding a like-for-like replacement is not really possible for a player of Daniher’s rare ability, even so the Lions did not target a ready-to-play key forward in the recently completed trade period.
Sam Day presents as the most likely prospect to be considered as a delisted free agent whom they could bring in to the club for nothing (in a trade sense), should the Lions decide to recruit a player who is ready to play a role.
The Lions have long been admirers of the Gold Coast big man, who was only recently cut by the Suns after he became surplus to requirements in a forward line that boasts Ben King, Jed Walter and Ben Long with young elite talents Mac Andrew and Ethan Read as options for key positions at either end of the ground.
A 32-year-old forward and second ruck, Day played 155 games in 14 seasons for the Suns and booted 117 goals. He only played five games this season but did rank first in the AFL for contested marks per game and marks inside his team’s 50-metre arc this year.
If the Lions go outside their list for a ready-made role player Day is the most likely choice. However, the success of ruckman Darcy Fort coming into their team for their grand final win will have them contemplating whether they could utilise Fort and Oscar McInerney in a tandem ruck-forward role.
The Lions’ general manager of football Danny Daly said there were existing options in the club’s playing group to complement talls Eric Hipwood and Logan Morris.
The intent, Daly said, was to keep the same structure and find someone to play the Daniher role, rather than change the system to match personnel.
“We will meet on Monday to discuss it properly for the first time and consider all of the options,” Daly said.
Sam Day is a versatile ruck and key forward the Lions will consider as a delisted free agent. Credit: Getty Images
“We obviously didn’t do anything in the trade period about bringing someone in (experienced and ready to play), but we might look at a delisted free agent.
“That is an option, but we are also pretty comfortable with some of the options we already have internally that can play that role. Darcy Fort obviously came in for the grand final, and we think he has scope to play forward. Oscar plays well as a forward. We (also) have young Henry Smith who we think can play that role.
“And we have Cam Rayner, who we think can play as permanent marking forward.”
The 22-year-old Smith, who stands 206 centimetres, made his debut this season, playing four games.
“We think we have some flexibility there and a few options internally so we will discuss that and which way we think we might go,” Daly said.
Daniher was outstanding in both of the Lions’ past two grand finals and at points of both games was a contender to win the Norm Smith Medal.
He was drafted to Essendon in 2012 as a father-son selection before making his AFL debut the following season when the Bombers were embroiled in a drugs scandal. Daniher was not one of the 34 players suspended for their part in the scandal, as he arrived after the 2012 season, but he had to endure the difficulties of that period at the club. He crossed to Brisbane for the 2021 season after seeking a trade away from the Bombers the year prior.
While they have lost Daniher, the Lions will be strengthened next year by former Adelaide defender Tom Doedee and rebounding defender Keidean Coleman, both coming back from long-term injuries. They will also secure another boom father son in Levi Ashcroft, who will join his Norm Smith Medal-winning older brother Will at the Lions after next month’s national draft.
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