Neale Daniher was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease (MND) in 2013. Today he led thousands from Federation Square in the annual “Freeze MND March to the G” for the 5th year in a row.
Neale and his team have raised in excess of $50m in order to kill this terrible disease. There is much to do yet with the research and trials that are in place but the search for a cure has accelerated significantly due to the generosity of the public and the federal government.
Neale would never take any credit for what Fight MND has achieved and he continues to laud the credit on his family and army of volunteers. He’s absolutely correct but it’s been Neale’s commitment and attitude to being the face of “Fight MND” that has brought the community together.
As a footballer, Neale was peerless. Given the captaincy of Essendon at the age of 21 he was later described by legendary coach Kevin Sheedy as the best player he had seen at Essendon and it was his leadership skills which shone at such a young age.
Unfortunately in 11 years at Essendon Neale only managed 82 games due to constant injuries and retired in 1990. In 1991 he played at my club Werribee in the VFA and played extremely well despite his wonky knees, in fact so well he starred in the finals series, nearly leading us to a grand final victory.
My friend Andrew who is an aficionado and lover of Essendon described Neale’s ability as something like a combination of James Hird and Scott Pendlebury. What he meant by that is an innate capacity for the game to almost stop when they have the ball in their possession. A kind of matrix if you will!
To have Neale at Werribee was a thrill for us players and I remember even his “dodgy” kicks at training somehow finding their mark! Ultimately it wasn’t Neale’s football ability that left an indelible mark at the club, more-so it was his humility, generous nature and sense of humour.
Every year since the Big Freeze was concocted, Neale has delivered some stirring speeches to both Melbourne and Collingwood players on the eve of each Queen’s Birthday game. Of all of them, I found this year’s to be the most powerful. Dedicated to his grandson Cooper, it was a typically simple but succinct message relating to 3 key areas of life and overcoming adversity:
- Responsibility: Holding yourself accountable. No blaming or excuses.
- Opportunity: Re-framing challenges and turning them into positive energy.
- Transcending: Discovering the best version of yourself by working through the first 2.
For anyone who has had to confront major challenges or trauma in their lives, I’m sure Neale’s words recorded here can perhaps help you move forward. They certainly resonated with me.
How Neale maintains his strength and stamina is beyond me. So much credit must go to his family particularly his wife Jan. One thing’s for sure, his sense of humour is always evident. At a recent lunch with Neale and 1991 team mates and coaches, our coach Leon Harris turned to me and asked, “Guess who came second in the VFL’s best first year player in 1981?” I replied, “Don’t tell me, it was you Leon?”. He said, “Yep, and guess who won?” (pointing to Neale). Neale said, “There was a big gap between first and second.”
Finally today at Federation Square prior to the march, the MC former Melbourne player Russell Robertson, whom Neale coached, asked Neale what his final message to the players would be before running out onto the MCG. He replied, “Don’t forget your mouthguards.”
If Neale believes there will be a cure for MND, then it it’s only a case of when. To donate to Fight MND please go to www.fightmnd.com.au
