But the enigmatic forward told his coach Chris Fagan he'd stick around, the media-shy key forward able to toast a premiership-winning career on Thursday night after confirming his retirement earlier in the day.
"Always champing at the bit for a bit of media and just never seemed to fall me way," Daniher joked at the club's best-and-fairest dinner before thanking former clubs Essendon and Brisbane.
"Thanks so much for embracing me.
"Letting me come here and have a kick, stuff up a bit on the field, get another kick and stuff up again ... Â but we got there in the end.
"To go out and get a premiership is what this club deserved and I'm very happy to be a small part of it so thank you."
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The Lions thumped Sydney by 60 points in Saturday's decider, a year on from their gutting four-point loss to the Magpies.
Fagan had earlier revealed to AAP he'd known for more than a year, since they spoke after that Magpies loss, that Daniher was serious about cutting short his career.
"He said to me, 'You know if we had have won this week I was going to retire," Fagan mused to the crowd at the club's end-of-season function.
"He said, 'I'm going to play for one year and I hope we can win a premiership', and I'm so pleased that happened.
"You've given us so many wonderful moments, and head scratching moments and all those moments, and we'll never forget that."
Rumours had swirled about the 30-year-old weighing up a retirement call since the eve of last Saturday's season decider.
He has called time after a total of 204 games with the Lions and Essendon.
Daniher ended on a high, capping a stellar individual finals series with 2.4 from 16 disposals in an influential grand final performance.
DANIHER HAS THE FINAL SAY 💪— AFL (@AFL) #AFLGF pic.twitter.com/b5eCqX7YzmSeptember 28, 2024
He added eight marks and four clearances against Sydney, and was mobbed by celebrating teammates after kicking the final goal of the game.
Daniher kicked eight goals across four cut-throat finals and stepped up in the ruck after Oscar McInerney was injured in the preliminary final.
He played a key role as the fifth-placed Lions became only the second team to win the flag from outside the top four under the current finals system.
"Joe is a generational type of player that will go down as one of the best forwards to have played AFL," Brisbane football manager Danny Daly said.
"We are extremely privileged that he played for the Brisbane Lions because he was a huge key to us experiencing the success we have and winning the premiership.
"What I love about Joey is that he has done it his way his whole career and in doing so has become a much-loved cult figure of our club and the AFL.
"We are sad to see him hang up the boots and call time on his career, but he does so with the full blessing of everyone at the Brisbane Lions."
Joe Daniher (r) shares a moment with Charlie Cameron during the Lions' grand final win. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)
Daniher played 96 games for Brisbane after joining the club for the 2021 season.
He also played 108 games in eight seasons at Essendon, having been drafted under the father-son rule.
His father Anthony Daniher played 118 games with the Bombers and 115 with the Swans.
Daniher's retirement ensures a remarkable AFL streak will continue; no premiership team has ever played together again in its entirety after their grand final victory.
Brisbane will also be without Murray Davis next season after the long-time assistant coach departed to take up a newly created role as Adelaide's coaching director.
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