Neale Daniher played most of his 82 games for Essendon as a half back flanker, but one legendary afternoon as pinch-hitting forward against Carlton sticks in the minds of all Bombers supporters.
The former Melbourne coach recounted a story of the day Kevin Sheedy did something he had never done before as a coach. Essendon legend Tim Watson was playing alongside Daniher that famous day.
“For all those Essendon fans they’ll all be transported back to 1981 Princes Park, we’re down by about four goals, we’re into time on. Kevin Sheedy for some unknown reason decided to swing the team around, he’s never done it before,” Watson said on SEN Breakfast.
Daniher replaced his brother Terry in attack, as Sheedy desperately tried to inspire his team to victory in a close encounter.
“I know why he did it, my brother Terry wasn’t getting a kick,” he joked.
“I said to Kevin at three quarter time, how long are you going to put up with this, any danger of getting him out of there?
“We finally got him out of there and I went forward, we crossed over and I said to Terry, about time.”
Watson recalled that when Daniher went forward he was picked up by Carlton champion Bruce “The Flying Doormat” Doull.
Essendon trailed the Blues by 11 points with three minutes to go in the last quarter. Daniher took a strong contested mark and kicked the goal to get it back to five points.
The Bombers then won the ball out straight out of the centre with Daniher taking his second mark inside 50 in under a minute.
He went back and kicked the goal to secure a one point victory.
Daniher admitted giving a cheeky clip to the Carlton Team of the Century defender once he kicked the back to back goals.
“I kicked a couple at this stage, and I’ve got high respect for Bruce Doull, a brilliant player, but I did say to him, Look Bruce you better tighten up mate,” he said.
Daniher was in the studio to promote the fight against Motor Neurone Disease, in the lead up to the Big Freeze Queens Birthday clash between Melbourne and Collingwood on Monday afternoon.