Teen Daniher set to continue a dynasty

Daniher, who turned 18 in September, chose to maintain a rich family tradition when he nominated Essendon as his preferred destination ahead of the Sydney Swans, with his father, Anthony, having played over 100 games for both.

Uncles Terry and Neale Daniher were captains of Essendon, while another uncle, Chris, played in the Dons’ 1993 premiership team. With the family home a five-minute drive from Windy Hill, the Bombers looked to be the obvious choice.

Not so, says the latest in the Daniher dynasty.

“It was a really tough decision,” Daniher says from the NAB AFL Draft Camp in Canberra.

“It’s been on my mind all year. To finally choose a club is a weight off my shoulders and now I’ve just got to wait around to find out on Monday.”

It’s the waiting around that’s all a bit new, with the AFL reviewing the father-son rule before the start of the 2007 season.

Previously when an eligible player agreed to be drafted, the move was considered a done deal; all the player had to do was wait until the club called his name in the third or fourth round of the draft.

But in an effort to make the system fairer, the other 15 clubs have now been given the opportunity to ‘bid’ for the player in question.

So, as it stands, Essendon can snap up the talented running defender with its last selection in November’s draft – an unlikely scenario – or the club must use its next available selection if another club makes a higher bid.

With Daniher rated in the top 30 of potential draftees, it’s likely that another club (or clubs) will tender a second-round pick, forcing Essendon to use either its current second-round pick (No.23) or its third-round pick (No.39); whichever comes after the draft selection tendered by the bidding club.

Clear as mud?

“It’s all new to me as well,” Daniher says with a grin. “I’ve got no idea how it works.

“I’m just going to sit back and wait until Monday and hope I get a good phone call with some good news.”

But while he’s happy to let the situation play itself out, Daniher can do so safe in the knowledge that dad is looking after his best interests.

“I’m sure he’s got a fair idea about it,” he says.

“He’s helped me a lot throughout the year and his advice really helped me make the final decision.

“He’s got all the experience and he knows how it all happens, so he’s been really solid support for me.”

Assuming the cards fall his way and he lands at his preferred destination, Daniher will be able to skip the regulation new player orientation and tour of the facilities.

“I spent a lot of time there during last year’s pre-season,” he explains.

“I trained with them a few times and also during the year, I’d go along and sit in their team meetings.

“So I spent a fair bit of time around the club and around Matthew Knights in particular and once he was announced as coach I thought, ‘Well, that’s really handy for me as I’ve spent some time with him’.”

Although other clubs have an opportunity to snap up the highly-rated 192cm prospect, it seems a reasonably safe bet that he’s going to wear black and red, given the lengths the Bombers went to in pushing their case.

“Before I made my decision - I made my decision on Monday - the Essendon recruiters and Matthew came over [to my house],” he says.

“So it was very nice of him to come over in his hectic week after he’d just been announced as senior coach.”

Daniher hopes pulling on the guernsey his dad wore with pride will turn an already remarkably fulfilling year an unforgettable one.

“I’ve managed quite well with splitting football and study; I’ve had a good year and I’ve really enjoyed it,” the former Calder Cannon says as he approaches the final term of Year 12.

“On field I was very happy to make the Vic Metro side and then to cap the year off with a Grand Final win [over the Murray Bushrangers] was brilliant; that really gave the year a tick.

“I hadn’t been in the greatest of form so I knew I had to go out and start well, which I managed to do, so I was very happy.”

October 8. Each other club in the competition has the option to bid, in reverse

ladder order, for any nominated player.