The Daniher difference: How Joe rises with the September stakes

September football is when the cream of the crop rises to the top in the AFL, and Brisbane's Joe Daniher might be one of the best to raise his games in line with the stakes.

While big Joe is yet to taste the sweet success of a premiership, he came within a kick of a potential Norm Smith Medal nod last September after featuring as one of Brisbane's brightest in their season-deciding defeat to Collingwood.

His outing in the grand final backed up a stellar September to date for Daniher last year, with the ex-Bomber booting seven goals in the club's two previous wins over Port Adelaide and Carlton to book a spot on the grandest of stages. 

He added three goals to his tally against the Magpies on the big day, with his last being a cool and calm yet quick kick at the city end to bring the margin within a kick in the dying moments. It would be the final major kicked in the 2023 season.

Daniher's maiden grand final performance also capped off a career-best year for the moustachioed attacking maestro, who surpassed 60 goals in a year for just the second time in his career.

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What might be remarkable is Daniher's strong post-season return last year after a quiet few outings across the 2021 and 2022 finals series. He burst onto the September scene in 2014 for Essendon with a four-goal haul in his first finals performance, and in his second and last finals game for the Bombers kicked three majors from 17 disposals against the Swans three years later. 

But just four goals in his next four finals appearances - two of which saw him kept goalless - placed questions over his September pedigree. 

It was also his ability to share the ball and be a key conduit in Chris Fagan's forward ball movement that strengthened his 2023 season to be his culminating campaign, with that same vein of form now returning to the field this September.

Daniher's match-winning performance in the 'Homebush Heist' is seeing his impact in the front half reach new heights as the difficulty also grows. 

While his aerial prowess might be limited a touch, Daniher's direct influence on goal rises when finals arrive.  

Saturday's meeting with Geelong will prove to be another chance of redemption for Daniher, who couldn't conjure a goal when the two sides met in a preliminary final two years ago.

The veteran forward again went goalless when Brisbane hosted Geelong at the Gabba this year in Round 6, but it was Daniher who proved to be a leading threat in last year's victory at the same venue in July when he kicked two goals from 21 disposals and an equal career-high 11 contested possessions. 

Adding to last year's grand final performance, Daniher's two trips to the MCG this year have also born fruit, with the star Lion booting six goals and averaging 15.5 disposals, 7.0 score involvements and 7.5 marks across win over Melbourne and one-point loss the reigning premiers. 

Since that victory against the Demons in 16, Daniher has played 100% game time in eight of his 10 games since, with the two outliers seeing him miss just three per cent of matches in Rounds 18 and 21. 

After seasons of injury woes prior to making the move north to Brisbane, Daniher's durability is proving to be one of his most damaging traits as the Lions search for their first premiership in over 20 years.  

While the result of this week's must-win final won't only fall on Daniher, the 30-year-old will have a significant say on the outcome. Proving to be built different come September in recent seasons, and with some entertaining performances on the hallowed MCG turf, Daniher's current form could take the Lions to a successive season decider and potentially a step further in 2024. 

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