Emotional tributes from Neale Daniher’s grandchildren as thousands pack MCG to say goodbye to AFL legend

The grandchildren of former Australian of the Year Neale Daniher have brought mourners to tears, in their tribute to the AFL great at his state funeral at the MCG.

Daniher died on May 25 at the age of 65, following a 13-year battle with motor neurone disease (MND), which he dubbed “The Beast”.

His grandson Cooper spoke at the state funeral service on Wednesday afternoon with his dad Luke by his side.

“When I was born, pops couldn’t hold me with his arms. He still found a way to rock me with his legs,” he said.

“Even when we couldn’t talk, he used his machine to chat and called me and my brother Ollie ‘cheeky monkeys’.

“My pops was strong, brave and courageous and I hope I can be like him when I grow up. I miss you Poppy, play on.”

Granddaughter Rosie, with mum Loz by her side, said she saw her Poppy as “a star in the sky”.

“I love Poppy very much, I wish he came back,” she said.

“I love everywhere he took me when I was born. He would rock me to sleep on his legs. I love reading to pop and I can still read to him.

“I wish he could come back to the Big Freeze. Poppy, I see you as a star in the sky. I hope you got to see me push the sliders down.

“I love you, Pop. Goodbye.”

‘Never gave up’: Wife’s tribute

Earlier in the service, Daniher’s wife Jan delivered an emotional tribute and began with a reference to a metaphor from the film Parenthood, in which the character Grandma debates whether to choose between the merry-go-round and rollercoaster.

“Grandma chose the rollercoaster and so did Neale,” she said.

“The rollercoaster (is) a metaphor for life – unpredictable, full of highs and lows, unexpected turns and sudden challenges.”

She said her husband “loved to learn” and took many life lessons from his football career.

“The lessons sport taught us helped set us up for life – working as a team, learning to win and to lose, learning resilience and discipline,” she said.

“We rode the bumps and the drops and the sharp curves, never knowing what was to come next. There were moments of joy and sadness, fear and love, strength and determination.

“It wasn’t easy, it was incredibly difficult, but we faced each challenge together and never gave up.

Ms Daniher became visibly emotional when talking about her husband’s greatest joy and passion – fatherhood.

“The most important role of all was becoming a father to our four children,” she said.

“It gave him a new perspective on life, he adored being a dad, and it gave his life its greatest meaning.”

She added Neale would be remembered for his “integrity, humility and honesty.”

“(He will also be remembered for) his sharp wit, his cheeky smile, his love of family and friends, and his wonderful love of laughter,” she said.

“This is how we will remember Neale. I love you, darling.”

Holding back tears, Daniher’s daughter Lauren proudly remembered how her father “never folded” in the face of his diagnosis.

“Dad always said that when life throws you a challenge, you have two options: You can flourish, or you can fold,” she said.

“And didn’t you flourish?”

She said he courageously continued fighting MND until the very end.

“None of this was easy,” she said.

“Losing the ability to communicate, to move, to breathe.

“You could have complained, but you never did.

“You got up each day and focused on what you could do, and you made the most of every single moment.

“You could have folded, but you never did. And I have endless admiration for that determination.”

She said that while most knew Daniher from the football field or his fight against The Beast, she said the moments she’ll miss the most were at home.

“I’ll miss walking through the front door and seeing you smile from your chair,” she said.

“I will miss the look of annoyance when I misunderstood what you were trying to communicate.

“I will miss that cheeky grin you would have on your face while you typed a smart-arse comment.

“We will play on for you, Dad. I love you.”

‘A beautiful brother’

Daniher’s brother Anthony said he was “a beautiful brother” and instilled his family values of loyalty, discipline and fun into everything he did.

“To us, he was simply our brother. A beautiful brother,” he said.

“The one who laughed with us, he teased us, gave us advice, whether we asked for it or not, and always stood beside us.

“He was never fazed by the noise around him. He was such great fun to be around.”

Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan said his long-time colleague and friend was “blunt and honest” but had a profound impact on his life.

“I’ve got three heroes in my life: my dad, my mum, and Neale,” he said.

“He wouldn’t hesitate to give you … feedback (on the field) but you knew it’d come from a great place.

“Neale made me feel valued, he gave me confidence, (and) he believed in me. I’m so thankful to him for that.

“I’ve been so fortunate to be a mate of his. Thank you to Neale for making the world a better place.”

‘Changed the nation’

The ceremony began with an address from master of ceremonies Hamish McLachlan, paying tribute to the man who “changed the nation”.

“We gather not in grief alone but in gratitude for a man who turned his hardest days into a gift for the rest of us,” he said.

“What a privilege to have lived in a time where we could learn from a man we celebrate, honour and remember today.

“Neale was the best of us in so many ways. He understood something many of us learn when it’s too late that life’s worth isn’t in its length but what you do with the time you’re given.”

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan paid tribute to Daniher and his work to raise awareness for MND, saying that because of him there was a “stream of light” where there was only once a “terrible darkness”.

“As a coach, Neale was rightly known as ‘The Reverend’. It suited him – a deep thinker, a fierce competitor, a man who understood football but more than that he understood people,” she said.

“When Neale spoke, people felt it, he brought them in – not around anger or grievance but around purpose, around hope, around the belief that if enough people cared, something could change.”

“On my desk is a letter Neale sent to me late last year – it sits in front of me every day. In it, he wrote, ‘You can’t always choose what happens, but you can always choose how you respond. Waiting for certainty keeps you stuck and courage begins the moment you decide.’

“Neale was the best of us in so many ways. He understood something many of us learn when it’s too late that life’s worth isn’t in its length but what you do with the time you’re given.”

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan paid tribute to Daniher and his work to raise awareness for MND, saying that because of him there was a “stream of light” where there was only once a “terrible darkness”.

“As a coach, Neale was rightly known as ‘The Reverend’. It suited him – a deep thinker, a fierce competitor, a man who understood football but more than that he understood people,” she said.

“When Neale spoke, people felt it, he brought them in – not around anger or grievance but around purpose, around hope, around the belief that if enough people cared, something could change.”

“On my desk is a letter Neale sent to me late last year – it sits in front of me every day. In it, he wrote, ‘You can’t always choose what happens, but you can always choose how you respond. Waiting for certainty keeps you stuck and courage begins the moment you decide.’

“Those words have stayed with me – I think about them on hard days and they say so much about how Neale lived his life.

“He did not choose MND, but he did choose how he would meet it – with courage, with purpose, with love, by turning his own suffering into something that could help others.

“In 2024, I had the honour of announcing Neale as Victoria’s Australian of the Year. By then, MND had cruelly robbed Neale of so much – his voice, his movement, so much of what we all take for granted.

“But on that night, after Neale accepted his award, up on stage he lifted himself up – he rose from his wheelchair, and he stood tall and proud.”

Uncle Colin Hunter Jr delivered the Welcome to Country and passed on his “deepest respect and condolences” to the Daniher family.

Daniher’s biggest challenge began in 2013 when he was diagnosed with MND – an incurable disease that slowly destroys the nerves in the brain and spinal cord.

In the 13 years since his diagnosis, Daniher became an advocate for the disease, co-launching FightMND.

The fundraiser has raised more than $141m for medical research, supporting families and finding a cure for MND.

On Saturday, thousands packed the MCG to celebrate the 12th annual The Big Freeze fundraiser, with a $40m donation from Queensland couple Quentin and Kylie Birt as well as $500,000 from the Victorian government.

In a statement, Premier Jacinta Allan said the state “stands with Neale’s family” and “every day to back FightMND and the vital research to find aa cure”.

“We will always continue Neale’s fight because it’s everyone’s fight to drive this disease to defeat,” she said.

Thousands queued to get into the MCG on Wednesday to bid farewell to the football legend.

Scores of blue Big Freeze beanies and football scarfs could be seen as supporters and fellow AFL players made their way into the memorial service.

The football great played 82 games for Essendon between 1970 and 1990.

After a series of knee injuries, Daniher was named senior coach for Melbourne Football Club in 1998, leading the football club to the grand final in 2000.

Source: https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/thousands-pack-mcg-to-say-goodbye-to-afl-legend-neale-daniher/news-story/1c7dc408362fe3d6dce3054a3eacc704