Essendon coach, Matthew Knights says the Bombers were willing to use their second round pick to secure 18-year old Darcy Daniher because they rate him so highly.
 
The Kangaroos had nominated they would select Daniher with second-round selection 32. Under the new bidding process the Bombers were then able to secure him using their next best pick - selection 39. 
 
""If another team had made a first round bid for him we would have taken him with pick 23 in the draft, we had made that decision because we are very confident about his abilities and what he can bring to the club,"" Knights said. ""Getting him at pick 39 as a father-son, we're just really pleased about it and we were very lucky.""

 

Daniher, whose father Anthony played over 100 games for Essendon and Sydney, said being close to home and playing under Matthew Knights had cemented his decision to go to the Bombers rather than the Swans.

 

""It's good to play at the club where my dad and uncles played but I am going to have to try and make my own name,"" Daniher said.

 

""My main goal is that I’d love to get a game under my belt but that's a long way off so we will have to wait and see.""

 

The 192 cm key position player can play forward or back but says he, like his father, will probably play his best footy in the backline.

 

Knights wouldn't predict whether Daniher would play a game in 2008 but said it's exciting that his dad played at Essendon and was a great player.

 

""We are proud to have Anthony's son playing here. It's great to have a marvellous young man like this coming to our football environment,"" he said.

 

""We are really pleased he chose us as a footy club and we are really going to put a lot of resources into developing the young men on our list.

 

""I spent about six hours with Darcy watching Essendon train during the year and we discussed football, game styles and some of the players and that was invaluable.

 

""The family also wanted to know how we were going to develop him on and off the field and that is full credit to them.""

 

Knights said that the club would keep and use its other draft picks.

 

""Our draft last year was fantastic and we are going to look to add another four or five terrific young players to our list and then we're going to look to inject them into our team,"" he said.