Melbourne captain Max Gawn has paid an emotional tribute to Neale Daniher, saying the legendary football figure was his “hero” for his selfless and courageous efforts to fight against motor neurone disease.
Neale Daniher passes away at 65
On Monday, the 65-year-old — who was named as the Australian of the Year in 2025 — died after a 12-year battle with the disease. Diagnosed with the incurable neurodegenerative condition in 2013, Daniher was one of the founders of FightMND the following year, which has donated more than $115 million to research projects working towards treatment and an eventual cure.
Demons' central role in FightMND
The Demons have played a central role in FightMND’s mission over the last 12 years, with their annual King’s Birthday game against Collingwood at the MCG being transformed into the ‘Big Freeze’ to raise awareness and funds for the cause.
On Triple M’s Mick In The Morning, Gawn — who was wearing a FightMND beanie — said Daniher was “a modern-day hero”.
“It’s hit me in all different ways over the last 24 hours,” Gawn said. “I’m starting to get that part in grief where I wish I gave him one last cuddle. I took him for granted a little bit … the fact he’s been doing this for 12 years, you just thought he would be around forever.
“Even the whole thing, how it’s called ‘FightMND’ and it’s not called the ‘Neale Daniher Foundation’ — the way he talks about that: ‘it’s not about me, it’s about others’. That’s been his whole philosophy.
“He has gone out and talked a big game, fighting the beast that is MND, and the first year we were like, ‘this is a massive job, Neale … to freeze the MCG’, and twelve years later, you’re like, ‘wow, he did it’.
“He is my hero. He’s everyone’s hero.”
