Daniher was a tireless worker on the training track and those around him would follow. He would just roll up the sleeves and do what was expected of him – and then a bit more. It was hardly surprising Daniher captained the Bombers on 127 occasions and led them to two Premierships. He was a marvellous leader – he had a fierce desire and was hard at the ball and the man.
Growing up, life was about working hard and playing hard. “I used to have to cut the firewood every night so that is was dry for the morning when we cranked the stove up,” Daniher recalled. “Dad would have us out of bed at 7am and we would milk a few cows by hand and feed the calves before we went to school. Then after school, when I was supposed to be rounding up a few cows we would kick the footy until it was dark. We’d head inside for a big feed, sit in front of the TV and fall asleep in no time.”
Daniher played senior football for Ungarie as a 16-year-old and the initiation was as tough as you would expect. “It was only a five-team competition and we never had enough players so teams would have to call on the local rugby league players to make up the numbers. You would cop one if you weren’t on your guard – they would pick you up, turn you upside down and nearly break you in half,” Daniher said. “I worked hard on my fitness back then. If Dad and I were working down in the back paddocks I would take my runners with me and run home when we had finished for the day. If it was a full moon I would get home okay, but in the half moon I used to stand on a few rocks and step in a few potholes.”
Managing to remain in one piece, Daniher continued to impress on the football field and in 1974 represented NSW in the Teal Cup. The following season Daniher joined Ariah Park Mirrool in the South West League. The side was captained by former South Melbourne player Ricky Quade. “They were a good side and they paid me a bit of petrol money to play with them. We should have won the flag that season. After one of our finals we had a bit of a woolshed do and it was freezing cold. We got on the grog and were rolling around the ground wrestling and soaking wet – we all got crook and got rolled in the preliminary final the following week. I’ll never forget that because all of my cousins were playing for the opposition.”
Champions of Essendon – the Book is a 240-page, full-colour, hard-cover book that every true Essendon fan should have. Written by Simon Matthews, the book explores the lives and football careers of Essendon’s greatest 60 players, taking an even closer look at the 25 players who will be inducted as Champions of Essendon. Supporters wanting to order the book can call the club on (03) 9230 0390 or purchase online. At just $59.95 plus postage, the publication represents great value and makes for an excellent gift.