West Australian football icon Bryan Cousins has revealed he was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND) a year ago.

The father of West Coast champion and Brownlow Medallist Ben Cousins, Bryan revealed he had been battling the disease for the past 12 months privately.

The 72-year-old played 240 games for Perth in the WAFL across the 1970s and 1980s, before finishing his career with 67 games for Geelong in the VFL.

Bryan struggled through tears as he publicly revealed his plight on Saturday, during an MND fundraiser event at a Swans Districts Football Club event.

“I was running along the beach and starting to struggle … A bloke stopped me and asked me if I was OK,” Bryan said.

“I went to a neurologist and I started looking at what I might have and I got the one thing I didn’t want which was MND.”

The news comes just a week after the death of Neale Daniher, who had been fighting the disease for 13 years.

His FightMND campaign has helped raise millions for the awareness and study of the uncurable disease.

Every AFL game this weekend has paid tribute to Daniher with a minute’s silence.

“The way (Neale) approached it and his courage and his attitude, one word kept coming to my mind. He’s a fighter and continued to fight till the day he died,” Bryan said.

“He’s an amazing individual and whether you’re connected to MND, he is an inspiration to how you face up to adversity.

“I’m getting along, I’m still independent but I’m looking at everything that Neale said and every six months is worse than the previous and you notice the little things in life.

“But, because of all the amazing things that people are doing I do believe we will find a cure.”

MND has also made news in the NRL, with star player Jai Arrow forced to retire at just 30 with his own diagnosis.

Cousins’ 240 games for Perth allowed his son Ben to qualify as a father-son for West Coast, where he would go on to play in the 2006 premiership.

“That’s where I learnt to love the game, watching dad,” Ben said at the same function.

“He was my hero growing up and in many ways he still is.”

AFL world rallies around Bryan Cousins after heartbreaking MND diagnosis

The AFL world has wrapped its arms around the Cousins family after a heartbreaking MND diagnosis.

The 72-year-old, who played 67 games for Geelong and 240 for Perth in the WAFL, revealed at an MND fundraiser at Swans Districts Football Club that he was diagnosed a year ago.

“I was running along the beach and starting to struggle,” he said.

“A bloke stopped me and asked me if I was OK. I went to a neurologist and I started looking at what I might have and I got the one thing I didn’t want which was MND.”

Opening up about the emotional toll of telling his family, Cousins continued: “I got teary, mainly because I thought, ‘How am I going to tell the kids?’

“I texted them on a Sat(urday) and asked them to come around home on Sunday and we had a big hug and a cuddle and we discussed MND.

“One of my beautiful granddaughters came out and she was really good. She said, ‘Pop, when you get in a wheelchair, can I come for a ride?’”

Cousins’ confirmation of his diagnosis comes just days after the heartbreaking death of Essendon hero Neale Daniher following a 13-year battle with MND.

While earlier this month. South Sydney NRL player Jai Arrow revealed he had been diagnosed with MND at just 30 years old.

Bryan Cousins, left, dad of Ben Cousins, right, has revealed his MND diagnosis (Picture: NewsWire / Michael Klein)

Much like Arrow, Cousins is taking strength from Daniher’s long fight with the disease.

“The way he approached it and his courage and his attitude, one word kept coming to my mind. He’s a fighter and continued to fight till the day he died.

“I’m still independent but I’m looking at everything that Neale said and every six months is worse than the previous, and you notice the little things in life.

“I don’t fear what lies ahead because I’ll just face it as best I can.

“Because of all the amazing things that people are doing I do believe we will find a cure.”

While his son Ben, a premiership winner with West Coast and Brownlow Medallist winner, told 7News on Saturday night he couldn’t be prouder of the bravery his dad had shown since.

“(I) continue to be really proud of dad, particularly in the face of adversity. Dad today referred to Neale Daniher as the commanding officer of the MND army,” he said.

“And I know he has given dad a lot of inspiration.”

Bryan Cousins (right) with Ben (middle).

And the sporting world has been quick to send its well-wishes to Bryan and the Cousins family.

“Only just found out today, getting home from the game of the news of Bryan Cousins MND Diagnosis, such bloody sad news, never met the guy but impressions of him is that he is a very positive-minded man and am sure will show tremendous positive strength for the rest of his life,” Paul Persic wrote on X after news of Cousins spread.

“Bryan Cousins is one of the warmest, kindest human beings I’ve had the pleasure to meet. Bloody sad news to hear of his MND diagnosis. Have no doubt he will have the same positivity towards his fight as he has the rest of his life,” WA breakfast radio host Jacob Landsmeer ️said.

“Shocking news to see that Bryan Cousins has been diagnosed with MND,” Bradley William added.

In an exclusive interview with news.com.au’s Extended Bench this week, neuroscientist Dr Alan Pearce said sadly there is currently not a lot that can be done to treat MND.

“It’s a very progressive disease and one that is difficult to try and treat,” Dr Pearce told news.com.au’s Extended Bench.

“You can manage the signs and symptoms but essentially, there are no treatments.”

Dr Pearce said it was hard to know how long before showing symptoms that the body acutally begins breaking down.

“Neurodegenerative diseases typically tend to develop without any knowledge or any signs or observable symptoms and that’s why we have to take a more precautionary approach because it all happens in the background before it’s too late,” he said.

Source: https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/emotional-footy-legend-reveals-heartbreaking-mnd-diagnosis/news-story/77a4188dfbaaf7a39320c32cf9e6ac42