It took 20 minutes for the queue of people attending Neale Daniher’s State Funeral at the MCG to disappear as thousands of Melburnians waited patiently for the opportunity to pay their respects to the 65-year-old who died on May 25.
They have come wearing blue Big Freeze beanies and scarves of club colours, predominantly from Essendon and Melbourne where he played and coached but from West Coast too, where he worked.
Essendon president Andrew Welsh said Daniher was “an amazing person from an amazing family who is the true heart of Essendon” as he entered the stadium.
All players from both Essendon and Melbourne – who play each other on the weekend – are in attendance.
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon and Chairman Craig Drummond are also present, as are former Bomber teammates like Mark Harvey and work colleagues, John Worsfold, who was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame last night.