Is Joe Daniher the best forward in the AFL on current form?
Premiership defender Campbell Brown thinks the big Lion has taken the mantle from Geelong’s Jeremy Cameron in recent weeks.
With 13 goals from his last four weeks, Daniher is in sharp form while he’s also picking up plenty of footy with 14 disposals his lowest single-game output across that month.
“I think Joe Daniher has taken over the mantle of Jeremy Cameron as the most dangerous forwards in the comp right now,” Brown told SEN Afternoons.
“It was definitely Jeremy in the first six or seven weeks, but you can't knock Joe’s recent form - 13 goals in four weeks for big Joe - and they've been important goals too.
“He's playing brilliant footy, and while he's playing like that, the Lions are going to be hard to beat.”
With the Lions 8-2 and second on the ladder behind Collingwood, they’re firming as a genuine premiership threat 10 rounds into the season.
Given the question marks over Daniher across his career, Brown pondered whether the narrative would flip completely on the 29-year-old if he were to be the lynchpin in a premiership-winning side.
“I'll ask you this question, ‘If Joe can keep playing well and lead Brisbane to win a flag, there's still a hell of a long way to go, is there a player in the competition whose narrative around his career would change more?’,” Brown said.
“There's always been that knock on Joe (about his ability to lead a side), he left Essendon, and he went up there.
“The knocks are also that he can be laconic, and he misses some easy goals and things like that.
“But if he could deliver on the big stage when it matters, we'll look back on his career very differently.”
In response to Brown’s question, SEN’s Dwayne Russell feels the narrative would flip completely on the Lion while using a Baz Lurhmann quote to describe what could be ahead in his career.
“If he's a premiership player for the Lions I agree 100 per cent,” Russell said.
“I'll answer it with this quote, ‘The race is long, but in the end it's only with yourself’, and he's a chance to win this race.”
Daniher will hope to keep up his strong form when Brisbane faces Adelaide on Sunday at the Adelaide Oval.