EDITORIAL: With Neale Daniher gone, it’s up to us to play on against MND

In their thousands they queued to pay their respects to a giant.

Around their necks, scarves in a riot of colours — mostly the red and black of Neale Daniher’s Bombers and the red and navy of his Demons, but every other team was represented among the throng of mourners also.

Atop their heads, beanies in blue, bearing the same message.

Fight MND.

It was what Daniher did for 13 years of his life, since his diagnosis in 2013. Even when motor neurone disease robbed him of the ability to walk. Even when it stole his voice.

And even though he knew the fight for a cure, when it is finally won, would come too late for him.

Daniher called MND “The Beast”. And against it, we are all on the same team.

There was no more fitting location for his send-off than the hallowed ground of the MCG. It had been the scene of so many of Daniher’s greatest battles across his 65 years of life, first as a footballer, then as a coach and finally as a campaigner.

Just two days ago, it hosted the 12th Big Freeze, FightMND’s signature fundraising event, which has helped the organisation invest $117 million into research and projects to help care for those living with the disease. Monday’s event, the first without its founder following his death on May 26, saw a single donation of $40 million from Queensland couple Quentin and Kylie Birt, who said they were moved to do so by Daniher’s courage and determination.

Back at the MCG for his funeral on Wednesday, it was a theme Daniher’s many eulogisers came back to again and again.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke of Daniher’s bravery in the face of what he knew to be impossible odds.

“In doing so, he gave new hope to thousands of Australians living their own struggle against motor neurone disease, and he inspired all of us with his courage, with his determination, with his humour, and his invincible optimism,” he said.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan recounted a letter sent to her by Daniher in which he told her: ”You can’t always choose what happens but you can always choose how you respond”.

“(Neale) 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,” Ms Allan said.

The most moving tributes came from his family, who knew Daniher not only as a sportsman and a hero, but as a father, a grandfather, husband and brother.

Son Luke recalled his father’s outlook on life, distilled into the acronym WITO: “Where is the opportunity?”

“Dad taught us that life isn’t a matter of if things will get tough, it’s just a matter of when and how often,” Luke said.

“The question wasn’t why me, the question was where is the opportunity. And trust me, Dad found opportunities everywhere.”

With the final siren having sounded for Daniher, the challenge — and the opportunity — rests with us.

Play on.