AFL great and motor neurone disease crusader Neale Daniher will be farewelled at a state funeral in front of legions of fans he inspired over his decade-long battle.
The man who became the symbol of the fight against MND died at home on May 25, aged 65.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will lead tributes at Daniher’s funeral on Wednesday, held on the same hallowed grounds of the MCG where he played for and coached Melbourne and Essendon.
Family, friends and former colleagues will also offer tributes to the much-loved football figure before he is sent off with a guard of honour.
Daniher was diagnosed with the incurable and fatal disease which he dubbed The Beast in 2013.
The average life expectancy was 27 months, but he resisted for 13 years.
It confined him to a wheelchair and took his ability to speak, but his voice continued to grow as he devoted the rest of his life to raising money for medical research and advocated for other people suffering from the disease.
FightMND, the charity he co-founded, has committed over $141 million to medical research for treatments and ultimately to find a cure.
In 2025, Daniher was named Australian of the Year for his contributions in leading the fight against MND, inspiring millions of Australians with hope.
“I think it is safe to say that there has never been an award so unanimously agreed to by every single Australian,” Mr Albanese said in his tribute to Daniher in parliament.
A record crowd packed the MCG on Monday and donned their distinctive FightMND blue beanies for the annual Big Freeze match.
More than 88,000 fans attended the King’s Birthday clash between Collingwood and Melbourne, with about 100,000 digital beanies sold raising $2.5 million and Governor-General Sam Mostyn among those sliding into an ice bath.
Daniher is survived by his wife Jan, their four children and six grandchildren.
He was one of 11 children raised by Jim and Edna Daniher on a farm at Ungarie, NSW, with the family making history in 1990 when Neale, along with brothers Terry, Anthony and Chris played in the same Essendon team.
Knee injuries cruelled Daniher’s playing career, but he continued coaching Melbourne for nearly a decade, earning the nickname The Reverend.
He was football manager at West Coast when he was diagnosed with MND.
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