Champion Jonathan Brown says Essendon must match Joe Daniher’s free agency bid
Joe Daniher roared back into the football landscape on return, filling Essendon fans with hope that he’ll stay. And a champion forward believes the Bombers should risk spending the big bucks to retain him.
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AFL champion Jonathan Brown says Essendon should “absolutely” match a bid for Joe Daniher if he decides to leave under restricted free agency.
Daniher roared back onto the football landscape on Thursday night with a three-goal, 10-mark display against Hawthorn that showed he remained one of the game’s most talented players.
He appeared to offer Essendon fans hope he would remain next year when he said unprompted post-match he wanted to “keep moving forward with this footy club”.
Some of Daniher’s teammates now believe he will remain at the Dons.
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But even if he decided to leave the club the Bombers could match a bid and try to broker a new contract.
That would then force Daniher to re-sign, ask for a trade or go into the national or pre-season draft.
Brown told Fox Footy he believed the club would match a rival offer should Daniher continue playing with the same stunning impact that he had against Hawthorn.
“Absolutely, certainly if he keeps playing like that. Even if it’s a couple of hundred over (their own offer),” Brown said.
“You are not losing a generational key forward, All Australian capacity for a couple of hundred grand.
“He is absolutely staying for sure if he continues to play like that for the rest of the season.”
Essendon will have to consider whether he is available off a five-day turnaround as they attempt to keep their finals hopes alive.
Conor McKenna is ready to return from a hip injury but was not picked, while Sam Draper is available against Nic Naitanui after being rested against the Hawks.
Coach John Worsfold is confident Michael Hurley will play against the Eagles after recovering from an ankle injury.
Dyson Heppell isn’t far away after his methodical build-up from a foot injury.
“Heppell is pushing as hard as he can to be back soon, whether it’s next week who knows,” Worsfold said.
Worsfold said after the club’s rampaging second half against Hawthorn that fans should have been able to see the strategies the club was trying to execute with its new-look game plan.
“Hopefully people started to see the style of footy we are working on and our job is to commit to that and work even harder,” he said.
“We dominated the inside-50 count through good ball movement, the opposition couldn’t get through us and we created some really good scoring opportunities.
“Our stoppage work was excellent so the way we moved the ball that second half, if we can play like that consistently we will become a very good team.”
Why Dons still have hope Daniher will stay
-Jay Clark
Essendon remains in with a fighting chance.
While the battle to retain prized spearhead Joe Daniher has been far from won, there are two significantly encouraging signs the full forward may yet stay.
Firstly, Daniher, 26, will make his return on Thursday night confident his rebuilt groins are strong enough to compete at the top level.
And secondly, the club and Daniher’s manager, Nigel Carmody, have been having some informal talks recently about a new deal.
Plenty of water is yet to flow under that important bridge, but if Daniher’s mind was already made up – which it isn’t – those crucial conversations wouldn’t be taking place.
While only Daniher himself knows the specifics, clearly the odds have shortened since November last year that the star goal kicker will remain in red and black.
There is a pulse on a contract extension.
For 12 months, Essendon list manager Adrian Dodoro has been adamant the club wants to keep Daniher, and if he had to find a replacement in this exchange period North Melbourne’s Ben Brown and Gold Coast’s Peter Wright look the most available key forward options.
But what matters most for Daniher is what takes place out on the field over the next five matches, starting on Thursday night against Hawthorn.
If he breaks down again, which would be the third time in three years, it is curtains for Essendon and its father-son spearhead.
Not only would he weigh up moves to either Sydney Swans, Brisbane Lions or Geelong Cats, you’d question whether he wants to play at all.
It is why it has been such a high-stakes rehabilitation.
The club has been incredibly cautious this time around, resisting the temptation to play him over the past two months, even as he inched towards full fitness.
Essendon sent him to Ireland to consult a groin specialist and spared no expense this season in partnership with Sean Murphy, Essendon’s head of fitness, who came across from Hawthorn last year.
Importantly, the club kept its nerve when he suffered the recent calf setback. No toys were thrown from either cot.
But this is it. Essendon will want Daniher to simply enjoy getting a kick against the Hawks. Experience the butterflies, the banter and the buzz of running out there.
Snag a goal, get mobbed by teammates and just feel good about footy again, Joe.
“We’re really excited that Joe has done the work to be available,” coach John Worsfold said.
“He’s very comfortable and excited about getting back out there.”
Daniher has an infectiously positive personality, making him a favourite at Tullamarine, and we know what a supremely athletic talent he is.
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He is an All-Australian and a best and fairest winner. He sits on heads and slots goals on the turn.
Remember the day he slotted a long bomb from 50m on the half time siren of the Anzac Day game in Round 6 last year, and then turned to the crowd?
It was his second game back. He jagged four-straight that day.
We want to see that smile return.
He has been put through the ringer playing only 11 games over the past three seasons, including groin surgery mid last year.
Bluntly, he has also put it on himself to improve his training habits.
Former teammate Brendon Goddard has said it publicly and indeed privately to Daniher’s face, to take the next step in his career after a sensational 2016-17.
The greatest player of the modern era, Gary Ablett, got the same feedback.
The 200cm Daniher acknowledged this after returning to Essendon late last year, feeling disappointment, but not heartbroken his trade request to Sydney fell over.
“I wasn’t strong enough in the way I was approaching my weights,” Daniher said.
“I probably wasn’t diligent enough. Once I got to a certain level I couldn’t quite cope with the load. This time that’s what we will be focused on.”
The Bombers wanted Tom McCartin as part of the trade but the request came too late in the piece to lock-in an adequate replacement.
The Bombers desperately hope they won’t need one after all.