The Essendon list boasts six All-Australians and six best and fairest winners, but it’s a man yet to experience either honour that shapes as the Dons most important player, according to former champion Scott Lucas.
Joe Daniher enters the 2017 season with three Club goal kicking titles to his name and Lucas told the Friday Footy Panel the 23 year old is the player the Bombers could least afford to lose.
“If they move the ball quicker this year then he is a 60 plus goal kicker and I think they’re very difficult to replace,” Lucas said.
“If you said ‘Joe’s not in the team’, the whole structure of the forward line has to change and you don’t necessarily know who is going to be your multiple goal kicker in there.”
Daniher has steadily improved his goal kicking output during his first four seasons in the game.
He kicked 43 goals last year in the best return by an Essendon player since Matthew Lloyd in 2008.
That’s despite the Bombers ranking 17th in clearances, 16th in inside 50’s and averaging nine goals per game.
“I’ll be interested to see this year what type of player Joe Daniher is [this year],” Lucas said.
“[Last year] because the ball wasn’t coming down he wanted to push up and get involved and he did that very well.
“If there is more ball flow and he’s staying deeper he could be used as a forward 50 target more because he maintains that positioning and therefore he’s more dangerous again.”
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