The AFL finals moment: Joe Daniher seals Brisbane Lions’ epic comeback against GWS Giants
Brisbane’s goalkicking had been under the microscope all season — headlined by Joe Daniher. LACHLAN MCKIRDY examines how the Lions spearhead answered the critics in the most emphatic way possible.
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It was the kick from the pocket that never looked like missing.
If you were looking at expected scores, it would barely have registered a 0.01 rating. Yet when the ball is in Joe Daniher’s hands, you have to always expect the unexpected.
Nearly 30 minutes into the final quarter, a dubious deliberate out-of-bounds from Sam Taylor gave Daniher the chance to be the hero.
All night, he had watched on as Coleman Medallist Jesse Hogan made the most of each of his chances.
Snaps, set shots, contested marking – it was an absolute clinic in key forward craft.
But Daniher knew his moments would eventually arrive.
At first, he needed a spark from his teammates. Trailing by 44 points in the third quarter, Kai Lohmann was the man to deliver as he found a pocket of space.
This was a Lions team on the canvas. They had kicked 4.10 and looked defeated and ready to start planning for 2025. Yet Lohmann’s goal was the little glimpse they needed, a heartbeat that this team would not be denied.
It sparked an incredible string of five goals in nine minutes. Oscar McInerney, Charlie Cameron, Zac Bailey and Dayne Zorko – some of their most important names all willed the team back into the contest.
Zorko in particular had been well curtailed all night by the unheralded James Peatling. He was at fault for several Giants goals and looked a shadow of his All-Australia form across the first half.
His belief as his snap sailed through the big sticks reverberated around his teammates. The Giants were able to extend their lead back to 25 points by the final break, but after dominating for so much of the night, it was the hosts who were out on their feet.
Adam Kingsley’s side didn’t have to think too far back for how these moments could go so wrong. They threw away a 21-point three-quarter time lead against the Swans in the qualifying final, and quickly it looked like it was about to happen again.
The Lions had all the run and numbers around the ball. Eric Hipwood had been anonymous for most of the night, but got Brisbane’s first of the final term. Cameron chipped in with another goal while Zorko’s second and a brilliant run from Jaspa Fletcher left the Giants watching history repeat itself.
Sam Taylor and Jack Buckley were enormous for most of the night and were defensively sound. But Daniher just needed a sniff and that’s exactly what he got.
The free kick, from 50m out on the wrong side of the boundary, never looked like missing. It was a dent in confidence to Taylor who has been so strong, and was the boost in confidence the Lions’ main man needed.
He has had a strong year, but there have always been question marks about his accuracy. With the weight of expectation on his shoulders, not only did he silence his critics but he was the man to deliver them a preliminary final berth.
He kicked the final of the Lions’ six goals in the final quarter to give them their first lead since the opening term. Daniher brilliantly outmarked Taylor and put it straight over the umpire’s head.
As he turned towards the crowd, he stood, taking in the moment. This was Daniher at his best and the Lions achieving the impossible.
The Giants will be soul-searching for some time after this loss. Bundled out in straight sets when they should have already been planning for the third week of finals. But to be up by 44 points in the third quarter and lose the game was simply unacceptable.
Some will argue they were already thinking ahead to a game against Geelong, but Daniher knows better than most it only takes a moment to change a game.
He had two of them, in a night the Lions players and fans will remember forever.
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Originally published as The AFL finals moment: Joe Daniher seals Brisbane Lions’ epic comeback against GWS Giants
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