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A state funeral has been offered by the Victorian government and accepted by the family.<\/p>\n
It is expected to be held in the coming weeks, with the King\u2019s Birthday game on June 8 to also celebrate his legacy.<\/p>\n
Melbourne great Neale Daniher with daughters Bec and Loz at Federation Square before the annual walk to the MCG, which coincides with FightMND\u2019s Big Freeze. Picture: David Geraghty (NewsWire)Source: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n
According to MND Australia, the average life expectancy for someone diagnosed with MND in the country is around 27 months from the time of diagnosis. Daniher passed away nearly 13 years later.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re heartbroken to share that our much-loved husband, Dad and Poppy, Neale Daniher, passed away at home, surrounded by his family,\u201d the family statement read.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom day one, Neale was a fighter. His determination was unmatched \u2013 choosing every day to find opportunity where others might see only challenge, and taking the fight to the Beast with everything he had.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven in the toughest times, he kept pushing forward, determined to land as many blows as he could against his toughest opponent, all with a cheeky grin and a sharp sense of humour that never left him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The statement said Daniher, one of 11 children, \u201cbrought light and laughter wherever he went\u201d, adding: \u201cHe loved deeply and was loved just as much in return by his family and friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
The family also paid tribute to all those that had supported Daniher during his battle with the disease.<\/p>\n
Rebecca Daniher and Neale Daniher speak to the media at the Big Freeze 7 Official Launch in 2021. Picture: Quinn Rooney\/Getty Images via AFL PhotosSource: AFL Photos<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to thank the incredible community who stood beside Neale and our family throughout this journey,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour support, kindness, and unwavering belief meant more than we could ever put into words. Neale drew great strength from knowing he was never alone, and neither were we.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are so grateful to the incredible carers, nurses, doctors, researchers, and specialists who supported Neale and our family with such dedication and compassion. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of four Daniher brothers who would played in the VFL\/AFL, Daniher played 82 games for Essendon between 1979 and 1990. He won the Bombers\u2019 best and fairest award in 1981, but his career was cut down by knee injuries when he was shaping as one of the premier players of his generation.<\/p>\n
Neale Daniher played 82 games for Essendon.Source: AFL Photos<\/p>\n
Daniher quickly moved into coaching, becoming an assistant at Essendon under Kevin Sheedy then moving to Fremantle for a similar role for the club\u2019s first three seasons. He was then appointed Melbourne\u2019s senior coach ahead of the 1998 season \u2014 a role he held until the middle of the 2007 season. He led the Demons for 223 games \u2014 the third-most in club history \u2014 and guided the team to finals in six of his 10 seasons in charge, including the 2000 Grand Final. His win-loss ratio (48.65%) is the third-best in Melbourne history behind Norm Smith and Frank \u2018Checker\u2019 Hughes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is impossible to encapsulate in words the impact of Neale Daniher,\u201d Melbourne president Steven Smith said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis courage transcended the football field, and his determination inspired an entire country. <\/p>\n
\u201cNeale was not driven by personal motivation, he was driven by helping others, right until the very end.<\/p>\n
Neale Daniher was appointed Melbourne\u2019s senior coach ahead of the 1998 seasonSource: News Limited<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was a true leader and the definition of what it means to be selfless. <\/p>\n
\u201cNeale was a man of action not words and he embodied the saying, that he himself made famous, \u201cthe mark of a person is not what you say, but what you do\u201d.<\/p>\n
After six seasons as West Coast\u2019s general manager of football, Daniher stepped down from his role due to health reasons, but only made his MND diagnosis public the next year. Since then, Daniher has been a pillar of hope for those living with the condition. <\/p>\n
Daniher vowed to dedicate his life to campaigning and raising awareness of MND, becoming the co-founder and patron of FightMND. He\u2019s helped to invest more than $117 million towards the fight against, what he dubbed it, \u2018The Beast\u2019.<\/p>\n
One of the greatest aspects of his legacy is the \u2018Big Freeze\u2019 event, with the Collingwood-Melbourne King\u2019s Birthday clash now one of the most celebrated and supported initiatives in Australian sport.<\/p>\n
The 2025 Australian of the Year, Neale Daniher. Picture: NewsWire \/ Martin OllmanSource: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n
Big Freeze 12 is scheduled to be held at the MCG in a fortnight.<\/p>\n
The homepage of FightMND reads: \u201cDespite his own battle with MND, Neale\u2019s unwavering efforts have inspired a nation, proving that resilience and community can change lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniher\u2019s unwavering commitment to his cause and service to the community was recognised by the Australian Government with an AM in 2016 and an AO in 2021. He won the Victorian of the Year award in 2019 and, in 2025, was named the Australian of the Year.<\/p>\n
\u201cNeale\u2019s fight was never his alone. It became something bigger \u2013 something shared \u2013 and it touched the lives of many,\u201d the Daniher family statement read.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis wish was simple but powerful \u2013 to help create a world where no one has to face this disease. But beyond that he wanted to leave a legacy that says this: \u2018No matter the odds, no matter the diagnosis, we all have the power to fight, to smile, and to do.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause the mark of a person isn\u2019t what they say, \u2018it\u2019s what they do\u2019.<\/p>\n
Craig McRae and Neale Daniher in June 2025. Picture: James Wiltshire\/AFL PhotosSource: Supplied<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will forever remember him for the lasting impact that he has made on us all. He has inspired, he has loved, he has lived and it would only be fitting to finish with his words \u2013 Play On.\u201d<\/p>\n
AFL Chief Executive Andrew Dillon said Daniher\u2019s passing was is \u201ca devastating loss\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis contribution to wider Australian life was simply incredible in the way he put himself at the forefront, despite the challenge of his own MND diagnosis, to raise awareness of the disease, champion fundraising efforts and search for a cure that he knew would likely not help him, but may help many thousands of other Australians in the future,\u201d Dillon said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had the privilege of being on the Fight MND Board with Neale and the Big Freeze match, which he founded, has raised millions of dollars and Neale continued to work and push himself to motivate others to do more, even when his own illness affected his mobility and speech and he had more than earned the right to rest.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a past Australian of the Year in 2025, his values for how he lived his life, for the countless occasions he stepped forward to speak for those did not have voice, and acted for those who had no-one to stand up for them, will define how we will remember as one of the very greatest that we had the privilege to call a \u2018football person\u2019.<\/p>\n
Terry, Neale, Anthony and Chris Daniher in 2024. Picture: Michael Willson\/AFL PhotosSource: AFL Photos<\/p>\n
\u201cWe send our heartfelt condolences and love to his wife Jan, children Bec, Ben, Lauren and Luke and their partners, and the wider Daniher family, for a life of leadership and service that has given so much to football.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniher was regular guest on Fox Footy\u2019s AFL 360.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Gerard Whateley and Mark Robinson in 2016, Daniher said there were \u201cnot many\u201d down times and that his work to cure MND was a constant motivation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d rather not have MND and doing all this, but I have. It\u2019s chosen me, I didn\u2019t choose it,\u201d Daniher told AFL 360.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think what we\u2019re doing with the help of everyone out there is a good thing. Maybe a little less suffering in the world isn\u2019t a bad thing. So we keep working and we enjoy what we do.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know it\u2019s a long haul. Unfortunately a cure won\u2019t come tomorrow, but we\u2019re like farmers. We\u2019re ploughing the ground, someone\u2019s got to plough the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n
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