Joe Daniher during the First Semi Final between Greater Western Sydney and Brisbane at ENGIE Stadium, September 14, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos

HOW could Joe Daniher possibly kick that goal from near the junction of the 50m arc and left-hand boundary line?

The truth is, he's done it before.

With his team trailing by seven points against Greater Western Sydney on Saturday night and with just four minutes remaining, Daniher pushed off the Engie Stadium fence to begin his run-up.

The AFL average for left footers taking set shots from that part of the ground - on the left-hand boundary line, 30m out and beyond – is just 37 per cent.

And this was Daniher, the ultimate 50-50 man if ever there was one.

But recent history shows we shouldn't have been surprised when the towering full-forward perfectly executed his drop punt to split the middle.

In five previous shots from that small part of the ground since moving to Brisbane ahead of the 2021 season, Daniher had nailed four of them. He now has five from six, an incredible strike rate of 83 per cent.

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And statistics show the 30-year-old is significantly above the League average from set shots anywhere on that left side of the field.

He proved it again just 60 seconds later with the go-ahead goal from much closer and a much friendlier angle, but with the pressure gauge through the roof.

In what Champion Data describes as an 'acute' angle – the sector inboard from the boundary line towards just off centre – Daniher has a 53 per cent success rate.

The AFL average for left footers is just 40 per cent.

So while his two pinpoint kicks may have shocked many, it didn't surprise those who know him well.

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"I was fairly confident because he usually goes well from that side, even though it doesn't seem right for a left footer," coach Chris Fagan said following the match.

"I'm not surprised he kicked them. I think Joe lives for those big moments.

"He's been a great finals performer for us. He's a big game player."

Not only did Daniher kick the two clutch goals against the Giants, he also did something few others have done in 2024 – beat Sam Taylor in a one-on-one.

The contested mark that preceded Daniher's final goal was just the third time this year Taylor had been beaten from 52 one-on-one contests.

Joe Daniher battles with Sam Taylor during Brisbane's 2024 semi-final against GWS. Picture: AFL Photos

One of the most maligned figures in the game, Daniher is assembling a magnificent finals record. He has now kicked 27 goals from 11 finals appearances, including 16 from his past five.

He kicked the match-winner in the dying seconds of an elimination final win over Richmond in 2022 and then backed it up with 10 goals in three finals last year, including being arguably Brisbane's best player in the heartbreaking Grand Final loss to Collingwood.

Despite the perceptions of some, big moments for Big Joe in big games are the norm, not the exception.