Daniher was withdrawn from the Lions’ 22 on Friday morning, with his partner going into labour to give birth to the couple’s first child.
He had flown down to Melbourne with the team earlier in the week, before catching a flight back to Brisbane on Friday morning.
The 28-year old was crucial for the Lions in their elimination final win over Richmond with three goals, including the match-winning snap in the final minute.
He has been replaced in the team by young utility Tom Fullarton.
Daniher has 39 goals this season, second at the Lions behind Charlie Cameron, despite missing five games mid-season with a shoulder injury.
The former Bomber is the second player to miss a final this September due to the arrival of their first child, with Western Bulldogs defender Taylor Duryea missing their elimination final loss to Fremantle to be at the birth of son Albie.
Joe Daniher looks dejected after Brisbane’s loss to Melbourne. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Carey calls for police investigation into Crown white powder incident
Wayne Carey has fronted the media for the first time since being stood down by Channel 7 over his involvement in a white powder incident at a Perth casino last week.
Carey is alleged to have dropped a bag of powder at Crown Resorts last Thursday night and was escorted from the premises, but has denied the substance was illegal.
He argues the powder was an anti-inflammatory medication he takes for pain, but admitted the incident was ‘not a great look’.
However, he maintains that had the powder indeed been illegal, casino security should have immediately taken it up with the police.
“If what was alleged had happened, then the police should have been called straight away,” Carey said to reporters on Thursday.
“They never called the police. I want to know why.”
While claiming he had offered to hand the bag over to casino security, Carey refused to respond to the casino’s allegation that he didn’t do so.
The Age reports that Seven are seriously considering terminating Carey’s contract permanently, regarding his latest off-field incident as damaging his credibility.
The network are also reportedly furious that the former great didn’t tell staff about the incident when he fronted up for Saturday night’s elimination final between Fremantle and the Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium.
Carey had already been shunted from his prime-time special comments slot on Friday night football for the Saturday night match.
Carey will be stood down from the network pending a police investigation, which could keep him off the air until at least the end of the finals series.
Crown Resorts CEO Ciaran Carruthers has refuted claims Carey was unfairly treated, telling Western Australia radio station 6PR that the incident was handled in accordance with company protocols.
“We could not have been aware even if it were true that there was an issue with health,” he said.
“We dealt with this as we would deal with any notification of suspicious activity on the property,” he said.
Veteran Roo, Hawk locked in
North Melbourne ruckman Todd Goldstein and Hawthorn goalsneak Luke Breust have both signed contract extensions to remain with their clubs.
Goldstein has penned a one-year extension for a 17th season in blue and white, while Breust has again resisted the lure of free agency to sign a two-year deal.
The ruckman is just five games away from becoming just the sixth Kangaroo to bring up 300 VFL/AFL games.
“Todd is one of the all-time greats of the North Melbourne Football Club,” recruiting manager Brady Rawlings said in a statement.
“He is the ultimate professional in the way he goes about his football, he is loved by our members and supporters and equally so by his teammates and coaches.
“We look forward to seeing him continue to lead and guide our young group, as he charges towards his 300-game milestone.”
Goldstein currently holds the record for the most hitouts in competition history.
Breust has also put to bed rumours of a move to Gold Coast by remaining loyal to the club he won three consecutive premierships at between 2013 and 2015.
Currently sitting 14th on the Hawks’ all-time games list and seventh for goals, Breust passed Hawks legend Dermott Brereton’s majors tally during the season.
With 260 games, he will need to play 40 to become the ninth Hawk to reach 300 games by contract’s end.
While he is still playing at a high level on-field, his willingness to educate and mentor our younger players has been equally valuable,” Hawks list manager Mark McKenzie said.
“We’re very pleased that he has been quick to confirm his commitment to the club’s future, which we think is a broader reflection of how the playing group feels about the direction we are going.
“As a three-time premiership player, Luke has already made an immense impact on the club with his own achievements in his own right. But he is just as determined to now help to build towards our next period of success.”
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