AFL news 2024: Joe Daniher tells Brisbane Lions teammates he’s retiring from AFL

Lions coach Chris Fagan has revealed outgoing champion Joe Daniher planned to retire after last year’s heartbreaking grand final loss, and promised the club 12 more months to win a flag.

In the wake of the 2023 grand final, Joe Daniher told Chris Fagan he would have retired then and there had the Brisbane Lions tasted premiership success.

At Brisbane’s best and fairest awards on Thursday night, Fagan revealed Daniher sought his counsel soon after the four-point loss to Collingwood last September where he told the Lions’ coach that 2024 would be his last season as an AFL player.

“Last year after the grand final Joey gave me a call … he said to me you know if we (had) won this week I was going to retire,” Fagan revealed.

“But he said ‘I’m going to play for one more year and I hope we can win a premiership.’

“I’m so pleased that’s happened Joey … you’ve had so many wonderful moments, crazy moments, head scratching moments.

“You’ve been so good for our footy club.”

Brisbane coach Chris Fagan celebrates with Joe Daniher after winning the AFL Grand Final. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Daniher officially announced his AFL retirement on Thursday after 204 games for Essendon and Brisbane.

Surprisingly, Daniher took the stage on Thursday night to briefly speak on his retirement decision.

Famously media-shy, Daniher drew a chorus of laughs with his tongue-in-cheek opener.

“It’s nice to finally get the mic,” he joked.

“I’m always chomping at the bit for a bit of media.”

In pictures: Brisbane Lions awards night

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In a brief speech, Daniher thanked both the Essendon and Brisbane Lions fans for their support throughout his career.

“To the Essendon football club and more specifically the Essendon supporters, as a player I always felt supported by the fans and I’m very grateful,” Daniher said.

“To the Brisbane Lions, Fitzroy and Brisbane Bears supporters, thank you so much for embracing me.

“For letting me come here and have a kick and stuff it up a bit on the field, get another kick and stuff it up again and then another kick.

“To go out and get a premiership is what this club deserves, what so many people in this room deserve and I’m so happy to be a small part of it. Thank you.”

Joe Daniher receives his premiership medal on the dais. Picture Lachie Millard

In his earlier address, Fagan asked every player of the grand final winning team to stand so that he could offer individual praise for their season.

When he got to Daniher, the coach was full of praise.

“Bloody retired on us today,” Fagan said with a laugh.

“But what a fantastic contribution you have made to our footy club made since you’ve been here these last four years.

“Thanks for all that you’ve given to our footy club, mate. We love you. You’ll always be a Brisbane Lions premiership player and all the best for what you do in the future.”

Brisbane president Andrew Wellington hailed Daniher’s unmatched drive to win a premiership this year and thanked him for his authenticity and impact on the club over four years.

“It’s hard to put into words what Joe has done for this club since arriving in 2021,” Wellington said.

“Joe has been a critical part in our success and has played two incredible finals’ series, this year and last year. In fact I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone as driven to win a premiership as Joe appeared to be in the last four weeks.

“I know our fans just love you Joe.

Lions champion Joe Daniher celebrates a late goal. Picture: David Caird

“During the last quarter of the grand final my wife Louise … spent virtually all of the last quarter shouting ‘kick it to Joe, kick it to Joe’.

“I think she jumped higher than you did when you kicked that last goal.

“The thing we admire about Joe is that in an industry that can be to be honest fairly shallow and focused on fame at times, Joe has always had a really clear appreciation of what’s important to him - and you’ve lived those values.

“I hope (you) can be pleased that you were able to play with a group of coaches and players who appreciated you for who you are and not who the football industry thought you should be.”

Joe Daniher attempts to take a mark during the Lions’ AFL Grand Final triumph. Picture: Getty Images

‘HE DID IT HIS WAY’

Brisbane Lions premiership player Joe Daniher is expected to officially announce his retirement at the club’s best and fairest awards on Thursday night.

It is understood Daniher, 30, informed teammates of his decision on Thursday afternoon.

Speculation about his AFL future first broke on the eve of the grand final.

The following day he became a premiership player, steering the Lions to a drought-breaking grand final victory over Sydney.

Daniher was still contracted to the end of 2025, but will walk away from football with a distinguished career behind him.

“I retire knowing I gave my absolute all to the Brisbane Lions and Essendon, and I am extremely proud of what I achieved individually and as a team,” Daniher said.

“I am tremendously grateful for the opportunities given to me by both Brisbane and Essendon and I want to thank both clubs and their incredible fans for their support.

“It’s been an incredible journey here at the Brisbane Lions to go from a club that was really struggling at the bottom of the ladder to winning a premiership.

“As I finish up my career, I do so with the club in a great position on and off the field and I can’t wait to see the Brisbane Lions experience more success in the future.

“I am beyond excited by the squad we have at the Lions and especially the young talent we have coming through that are the future stars of this club.

“I want to thank everyone that has played a part in my AFL career and helping me become the player and person I am today.”

Lachie Neale, Joe Daniher and Dayne Zorko embrace after the AFL Grand Final. Picture: Darrian Traynor/AFL Photos/via Getty Images.

Brisbane Lions General Manager Football, Danny Daly said the club farewelled Daniher with mixed emotions.

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

“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.

“What I love about Joey is that he has done it his way his whole career and in doing so has become a much-loved cult figure of our club and the AFL.

Joe Daniher and Chris Fagan after the preliminary final win over GWS. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/AFL Photos/via Getty Images.

“We are sad to see him hang up the boots and call time on his career, but he does so with the full blessing of everyone at the Brisbane Lions.

“On behalf of the club I would like to thank Joe, his wonderful wife Adele and their families for all they have given to the Brisbane Lions and wish them all the best.”

A member of the AFL’s royal football family, Daniher played eight seasons at Essendon before moving to the Lions ahead of the 2021 season.

He was a major player in Brisbane’s finals run and kicked 2.4 in the grand final, the week after stepping up to ruck the majority of the club’s miraculous preliminary final win over Geelong after Oscar McInerney went down with a shoulder injury.

The 200cm spearhead kicked 204 goals in 96 games for the Lions.

He will retire as a Brisbane Lions premiership player, six-time club leading goal kicker (Essendon 2014-17, Brisbane 2023-24), Essendon best and fairest winner (2017) and Anzac Day medallist (2017).

Daniher was drafted to Essendon under father-son rule in 2012, chosing the Bombers after having the choice between Essendon and Sydney.

His father, Anthony, played for both the Bombers and the Swans.

Daniher requested a trade to Sydney in 2019 but Essendon held him to his contract after a deal couldn’t be met, with the key forward walking to Brisbane as a free agent a year later.

Originally published as AFL news 2024: Joe Daniher tells Brisbane Lions teammates he’s retiring from AFL