Lynch? McKay? King? Where Lions can turn after Daniher’s fairytale ending

Brisbane’s chances of repeating as premiers next season took a big hit after Joe Daniher called it a career. So where do they turn now? They’re set to be aggressive to get the man to replace him.

Brisbane will aggressively ask the question of several contracted key forwards including the likes of Richmond’s Tom Lynch as it seeks a replacement for “generational” player Joe Daniher, who announced his retirement to his premiership teammates.

As the Lions gathered for their best and fairest count on Thursday night, the club’s footy boss Danny Daly insisted there was not a moment to waste as Brisbane sought to fill the void that 30-year-old Daniher will leave in 2025 and beyond.

Asked on Trade Radio if the Lions could look at players such as Lynch, Harry McKay or Ben and Max King, who are all contracted players and unlikely to be budged, Daly said: “Absolutely if they are around and they are interested, and clubs are interested in talking to us about those sort of guys, then 100 per cent.”

“All those guys are contracted, it is going to be pretty hard to try and manipulate something with one of those. But you never know, do you? Unless you ask the question.”

Daniher’s career had a storybook ending. Picture: Adam Trafford/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Daly joked that: “Dom Ambrogio (Brisbane’s list manager) was going to come to the B & F (on Thursday) but I told him he’s not anymore, he’s gotta get to work!”

“We are pretty keen to go again and get back up the ladder … and if you want to do that as a footy club, you have to be right on top of your game and exhaust all avenues.

“They are hard to get key forwards. Most of the really good ones are in contract. We might have to make do with what we have got. We have got young Henry Smith coming through and Logan Morris played some good footy this year. Hippy (Eric Hipwood) is still there.

“But we will be pretty active in seeing what is out there and hopefully try to bring someone into the club who can replace him to the best of their ability.”

Brisbane had been aware for some time that Daniher was likely to walk away from the game, but still tried to coax him into playing on during Mad Monday.

“I think we all knew that this day, or this news was going to come at some stage, even though we tried to get Joey to sign a coaster on Monday afternoon at Mad Monday to go another year with us,” Daly said.

“There was no changing his mind. We tried everything but he had made up his mind.”

Daniher still has one more year to run on his contract, worth in excess of $800,000, but he has chosen to move on after 204 games and 395 goals.

Lynch stands to earn up to $1.5m in the final year of his deal with Richmond, a club which already stands to lose a handful of its best players.

Gold Coast’s Ben King is contracted for another two years, while his brother Max is in the process of signing an extended deal with St Kilda beyond his current term of 2026.

Carlton was recently quick to pour cold water on considering any trade for Harry McKay, who is contracted until the end of 2030.

The Lions could be forced to look at other options including St Kilda free agent Tim Membrey.

“Joe is a generational type of player that will go down as one of the best forwards to have played AFL,” Daly said.

Could Tiger Tom Lynch return to Queensland? Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

“We are extremely privileged that he played for the Brisbane Lions because he was a huge key to us experiencing the success we have and winning the premiership.”

Daniher’s father, Anthony, said on Thursday there was no chance his son could change his mind to walk away from the game.

But he stressed the hardest thing hasn’t been telling his teammates of his decision, but explaining it to his grandmother, Edna.

“The biggest challenge Joe has is to explain to his 90-year-old grandma Edna why he is not playing next year,” Anthony said on SEN.

“She will be scratching her head. If Jim (his grandfather) was still alive, he would probably be saying the same thing.”