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What has 6 heads, 12 arms and legs, and has played 777 games of AFL football? The Daniher clan’s collection of elite footballers.
The clan, currently represented by Essendon’s Joe Daniher, is one of football’s most loved families.
The dynasty began with Terry the Versatile, an outstanding key position player comfortable at either end of the ground, who led the Bombers to back-to-back flags in the mid 1980s.
It was through his deeds, and those of his brothers, that the Daniher name became etched in folklore at Windy Hill. The tradition of Danihers playing for Essendon continues to this day.
But what is often forgotten is that it was the old South Melbourne club that first discovered the Daniher bloodline, and but for a recruiting blunder of the greatest magnitude, modern football’s most talented and prolific family may have become Swan legends.
It matters little now, as Sydney have become one of the AFL’s success stories, but in the early days of its struggle to establish itself in the Harbour City, a collection of Danihers may have eased the pain.
The Swans moved north in 1981, just as Terry Daniher was establishing himself as one of the league’s superstars. Unfortunately for the new Sydney club, they had cleared him to Essendon three years previously after just 19 games of football.
To rub salt into the wound, they also cleared his brother Neale, sight unseen, as a part of a deal that brought ‘Nifty’ Neville Fields to the Lakeside Oval.
Nifty was a handy footballer who ended up playing 200 games, but only 60 of them were for the Swans. When the Swans moved to Sydney, Fields moved back to Essendon, and the blunder was complete.
Meanwhile, Neale Daniher had been named Essendon’s youngest ever captain at just 21 years of age, recognition of not only his composed and efficient footballing ability, but also of his outstanding leadership qualities.
History now shows that Neale Daniher never led Essendon onto the field as captain. A series of devastating knee injuries robbed him of his glory years, and although he managed to get back onto the field briefly in 1985 and 1989-90, he was well past his prime and not the footballer he once was.
When a third brother, Anthony, burst onto the scene, the Swans, now established Harbourside, were wary of letting another Daniher slip through their fingers. They snapped him up and the lanky defender found his niche at full back. His booming kick outs became a trademark and, like Dustin Fletcher today, he was not afraid of laying back on a crowd-pleasing torpedo punt.
But that wily old devil Kevin Sheedy, then coach of Essendon, dreamed of uniting the Daniher brothers, and after 115 games in Sydney, Anthony was lured to Windy Hill where he played another 118 games.
But it didn’t end there.
According to Sheedy, there could only be one thing better than having three Danihers at the one club, and that would be to have four. Enter Chris Daniher, the youngest and perhaps, according to the rumour mill at the time, the most talented.
Knee injuries as a junior may have taken the edge of Chris Daniher’s effectiveness, but after several years as a fringe player he established himself as a solid and reliable contributor. More a battler than a superstar, he still managed 124 games, including the 1990 and 1993 grand finals.
The four brothers managed to play two games together, one for Essendon and one for New South Wales in a state game against Victoria (which they won), but again it was due to Sheedy’s conniving. Neale Daniher had long since retired after suffering more breakdowns, but was talked into making yet another comeback by Sheedy, who loved the romance of having the four boys run out in the same team.
Only Sheedy could have achieved it.
Chris retired in 1997, leaving Essendon without a Daniher on its list for the first time in 20 years, but the Essendon faithful didn’t have to wait long for the next generation of Danihers to start making their mark.
Darcy, son of Anthony, made his debut in 2008. The youngster showed great promise but while his mind was willing, his body wouldn’t cooperate. Injury concerns kept mounting and Darcy was forced into retirement after just six games over four seasons. He was only 21.
That brings us to Joe, another son of Anthony.
Joe also had the chance to play for Sydney under the father-son rule, but chose Essendon (also under the father-son rule), no doubt due to his family’s long association with the club.
In his second season as a Bomber, Joe is yet to have played his breakout game, but his potential is as obvious as his spindly 200cm frame. The key forward might have a modest tally of just 21 career goals from his 18 games, but with poor and slow delivery to its big men, the Essendon forward line has not been the most opportune place to be of late.
But his value to the team, even at this early stage of his development, is undisputed. He has taken 23 contested marks this season, more than any of his teammates, and has proudly worn the black and red colours despite the supplements scandal that has so widely encompassed the club over the past 18 months.
For Essendon fans he offers hope for the future, a bright young star untainted by the controversy that rages around him. As his body strengthens and his shoulders widen, he will come into his own. His influence on games will increase and his goal tally will grow, and along with it, the adulation of his fans.
But one gets the sense that the sixth playing member of this remarkable family will remain unaffected. Having a big head is not the Daniher way.
The journey to AFL stardom is often a turbulent ride for youngsters. Those who seem destined for greatness often stumble, succumbing to the many dangers and pitfalls that litter their path. A well-grounded Daniher will not be one of them.
For Essendon fans, he is a breath of fresh air. They should be forever grateful that 36 years ago South Melbourne decided to clear a raw but talented Terry Daniher to their cross-town rival.
It was a ‘sliding doors’ moment from which Essendon have greatly benefited.
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