It was another year of frustration for Joe Daniher, who only played four games after his groin troubles resurfaced.

Coming off a restricted pre-season, the 25-year-old's two-goal performance in the Good Friday win over North Melbourne marked his first AFL game since round 8, 2018.

He backed up an impressive showing the week after, slotting four majors in an Anzac Day thriller.

Two more appearances followed, before a relapse in groin soreness forced the star forward into season-ending surgery.  

KEY STATS 

Games: 4

Goals: 7 

Average disposals: 12.8

Average marks: 5.5

Average contested marks: 1.5

Average score involvements: 5.8

BEST PERFORMANCE

Daniher's performance on the biggest stage of the home-and-away season was a sight to behold.

As a previous winner of the Anzac Day Medal (2017), it came as no surprise, but if you needed a reminder of what the All Australian was capable of, then it came once again on April 25.

Despite the Bombers kicking just 10 goals in the four-point loss, Daniher kept finding a way against a miserly Collingwood defence, recording four majors, 16 disposals, four contested marks and six score involvemements.

His monster roost on the half-time siren also sparked what would become an exhilarating but ultimately unsuccessful Essendon comeback.

When you consider this was just his second game back after a long absence, you couldn't help but tip your hat to Daniher.

MIGHTY MOMENT

"Magnificent. The icing on the cake."

Bruce McAvaney summed it up perfectly when Daniher set sail from 60m in his comeback game.

The goal will go down as one of the Bomber faithful's favourite memories of 2019.

And you could see how much it meant to Daniher and his teammates, too. 

2020 VISION

Daniher underwent surgery on his groin for the first time in late May, hoping to finally fix the niggling osteitis pubis that has plagued his past two seasons.

The early signs were positive, with Daniher telling ABC Grandstand in August that he was shaping up for a "lovely, long pre-season".

He'll be determined to hit the ground running when pre-season begins in November, giving himself the best chance of an uninterrupted 2020 season.