It’s not often you go to a funeral where half the congregation are wearing beanies.
Particularly a state funeral with the Prime Minister, Victorian Premier, chair of the AFL Commission and leaders from all political persuasions and football clubs in attendance.
But it was so appropriate to celebrate the life of Neale Daniher, one of 11 children, a husband to Jan, father of four – Bec, Ben, Loz and Luke – and the grandfather of six with a seventh not far away.
Informal among formality. Jokes among sadness. Love expressed without varnish. Pop music to break up the solemnity. And 1000 of those famous beanies to represent Daniher’s Big Freeze campaign.
The man who became Australian of the Year in 2025 for his tireless, unrelenting campaign to raise awareness and money to fight motor neurone disease – the illness he was diagnosed with in 2013 when his life expectancy was 27 months – remained down to earth to the end.
Already famous as part of the Daniher clan, playing for Essendon alongside his brothers Terry, Anthony and Chris, the former Melbourne coach, “the Reverend” – as he was known when coaching – became a revered hero for the fight he took to “the beast” (MND).
But Jan, his wife of 41 years, cut to the heart of why their life together was so joyous in a moving eulogy.
“MND doesn’t define Neale. Neale is defined by his character. His integrity, his humility, his honesty, his strength and resilience, his sharp wit, his cheeky smile, his love of wonderful family or friends … this is how we will remember Neale. I love you, darl,” she said.
With Neale’s mum, Edna, sitting among her massive clan in the members’ stand at the MCG, the service was about Neale the man, not the campaigner.
It was about the man who grew up in the dusty paddocks of Ungarie in NSW with a love of sport, music, family and learning. One of his mottos was that he watched movies for entertainment and read to learn.
Anthony said his brother, “widened our world”.
That world became so wide, legendary songman Paul Kelly performed Leaps and Bounds at Daniher’s funeral and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was one of the speakers, telling mourners, “he was truly one of the most positive people I have ever had the honour of meeting”.
The service was filled with humorous recollections Daniher would have greeted with the raucous laughter his children adored.
Such as the day his son Ben met the full force of his dad’s honesty and wit after returning to a local football field, his physical condition not at its peak following COVID-19 lockdowns. “How much are you weighing,” was Neale’s simple, but pointed, question.
On the defensive, Ben had the temerity to reference Carlton champion Patrick Cripps, contending his condition was appropriate given he was now playing as an inside midfielder, only to be met with the retort, “You’re not ‘Crippa’, and Crippa’s not fat”.
The Melbourne players he coached laughed loudest at the story, no doubt remembering their own encounters with a man who was served an extra helping of the honesty gene.
David Neitz, who was Melbourne captain for eight seasons under Daniher, joined teammate Paul Hopgood in recalling his coaching style, which could be only described as “hard but fair”.
They recalled the moments he put everything in perspective, like when he gatecrashed ruckman Jeff White’s buck’s turn and the room went silent. He did not say a word as he walked to the esky, grabbed a beer and announced, “The party is just starting, boys”.
Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan recalled starting his AFL career as a development coach alongside Daniher.
Fagan was staying quiet in meetings as he found his feet inside Melbourne Football Club as a colleague until Daniher gave him some sage advice: “Listen here, Fages, I didn’t get you here just to shift cones around”.
Fagan revealed he keeps at least one beanie each year from the FightMND campaign to remind him to never feel sorry for himself.
He recalled that when Daniher confided to him that he had been diagnosed with MND, it came with a stern warning that they would never discuss the illness again. For the next 13 years, as Daniher spread the word to the world about “the beast”, he kept his promise to Fagan.
“I’ve caught up with him over and over and over again and not once, not once in that 13 years has he ever spoken about MND or complained about what was going on with him,” Fagan said. “I figure that is absolutely amazing because I don’t think I would have shown the strength he showed.”
Daughter Bec, who worked alongside Daniher on the FightMND campaign, said her dad had a saying, “If you don’t like something, change it, and if you can’t change it, then change the way you think about it”.
Daniher did that, and more.
The congregation – a mix of family, friends, politicians, football mates, old friends and ordinary folk – moved from the members’ stand at the MCG to line Daniher’s Way and applaud as the cortege moved past.
A Melbourne and Australian icon had passed.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
