Friends and colleagues have paid tribute to Neale Daniher, describing him as a real-life superhero who united the nation in the fight against motor neurone disease (MND). The football icon and former Australian of the Year died on Monday at the age of 65, after an 11-year battle with the disease.
AFL commentator Hamish McLaughlin, who hosted the Big Freeze event, said he had never met anyone like Daniher. 'I'd never met a real-life superhero before, but Neale was that to me,' McLaughlin said. 'He was just an incredible human that when he lost his voice, I guess he'd never listened more than the last few years.'
Daniher co-founded the charity FightMND after his diagnosis in 2013. He became a powerful advocate for research and support, showing Australians how to face adversity with grace and determination. 'He's shown us all how we could live when we get dealt really bad cards,' McLaughlin said. 'How you choose your life and your attitude is absolutely yours.'
Even as the disease progressed and Daniher lost the ability to move and speak, he continued to communicate using an eye-gaze machine and AI technology. During last year's Big Freeze event, he used the machine to convey a message to 'go out there, enjoy the moment, have fun and do it in a courageous way'.
7NEWS producer Josh Kay, who spent considerable time with Daniher, said: 'I can't think of anyone in Australia in his lifetime that has united everyone like Neale has been able to unite everyone.' Mike Schneider, Managing Director of Bunnings Group and Chair of Fight MND, said the loss has left him and countless Australians broken-hearted. 'What Neale's been able to do over the last 13 years is embody the courage that all of those people have,' Schneider said.
Daniher leaves behind his wife Jan, his children and many grandchildren. The forthcoming Big Freeze 12 event at the MCG in two weeks will serve as an enormous celebration of his life and contribution to the fight against MND. Two Australians are diagnosed with MND every day, with two people also losing their lives to the disease daily.
