‘One of the best’: Brisbane Lions champion Joe Daniher retires at 30

The Brisbane Lions premiership celebrations are still in full swing but the team has been rocked by some bittersweet news.

Brisbane Lions champion Joe Daniher has confirmed he will walk away from the AFL as a premiership winner, confirming his bombshell retirement from the game.

Seven’s Mitch Cleary broke the news that Daniher was considering the move before the grand final as news trickled out on Thursday that the 30-year-old had informed teammates of his decision on Thursday.

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The speculation was rife before the decider as Cleary reported people close to Daniher at the Lions “have made no secret in the past as to how much he enjoys living his life in the northern New South Wales beaches, two hours outside of Brisbane.”

Kicking 2.4 — including the Lions’ final major — in the 60-point triumph over the Swans, Daniher will go out on a high, having finished with a premiership win.

But in a sign of how much he prefers the quieter life, the AFL reported Daniher wasn’t in the Brisbane rooms after the game, instead spending time with family in an adjoining room.

The news began to dribble out on Thursday afternoon.

Cleary tweeted on Thursday afternoon: “Breaking – Joe Daniher has retired from the AFL, age 30.

“Walks away from a lucrative final year of his contract for 2025.

“One of the best key forwards in the game. Arguably the best fwd/ruck.

“Also keeps the ‘flag team to never play another game together again’ streak alive.”

It means that in VFL/AFL history, no premiership team has ever taken the field again in a match.

Nine Tom Morris also tweeted: “Joe Daniher has told Brisbane teammates he’s retired.”

Daniher going out on top. Pic: Michael Klein

Daniher will finish his career having kicked 395 goals in 204 games split between the Bombers and Lions.

Daniher started his career at Essendon where he played for eight seasons tallying 108 games and 191 goals.

However, his final three seasons with the Bombers were ruined by injury as he was only able to play 15 matches.

After trying unsuccessfully to get to Sydney in 2020, Daniher secured a trade to Brisbane, where he has had a career resurgence after he joining the club in 2021.

He played 96 matches for the side, booting 204 goals and will bow out with a premiership victory under his belt.

Daniher retires with plenty of accolades under his belt including a 2017 All-Australian berth, six-times finishing the seasons as the club leading goalkicker (four for Essendon, two for Brisbane), an Anzac Day medal in 2017 and Mark of the Year in 2017.

In the last two years, Daniher has 61 and 58 goals respectively.

Daniher retires a champion. Photo by Darrian Traynor/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Speaking before the grand final, Melbourne great Garry Lyon said he wouldn’t have been surprised if Daniher retired.

“He is the ultimate modern day enigma,” Lyon said on SEN.

“He doesn’t chase the limelight, fame or social media. From what I’ve told he drives a beaten up car from NSW to Brisbane to train. He lives a minimalist lifestyle.”

Tigers legend Jack Riewoldt said Daniher “wouldn’t want it leaking Grand Final week”.

“It doesn’t surprise me in terms of hearing what Joe Daniher’s character is about,” Riewoldt said on Fox Footy.

“He lives in Byron Bay and in the shadows a little bit and stays away (from the limelight).”

Despite Daniher preferring a quieter life, his Lions teammates have been trying to convince him to stay on at least another year.

“I’ve been trying to convince him in the last 24 hours,” Lions veteran Dayne Zorko told the SEQ Breakfast show on Monday.

“We just keep saying `let’s run it back Joe, let’s run it back’.

“We’re definitely coming for it (the 2025 grand final and premiership). You just want to get back there and you just want to keep doing it.”

It appears some people are also just happy to go out on top.

Originally published as ‘One of the best’: Brisbane Lions champion Joe Daniher retires at 30