The life and times of AFL legend Neale Daniher after 65-year-old’s death
From clubs fighting for an 18-year-old Neale Daniher’s signature to raising millions in the battle to find a cure for motor neuron disease, here’s a timeline of one of the AFL’s great’s life and times.
February 15, 1961: Neale Daniher is born in West Wyalong, a town in the New South Wales Riverena region. He is the third of parents Jim and Edna’s 11 children and grows up in nearby Ungarie.
1978: After a legal battle with South Melbourne, VFL club Essendon win the right to sign an 18-year-old Daniher, who joins his brother Terry at the Bombers.
March 31, 1979: Daniher makes his first appearance for Essendon, gathering 22 disposals in a 21-point defeat against Carlton. He goes on to feature in every game of their season and be named the VFL recruit of the year.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.1980: In the midst of a strong second season for Essendon, Daniher is selected for Victoria, debuting in the ‘Big V’ against Queensland at the Gabba.
August 22, 1981: Daniher suffers a serious knee injury in Essendon’s final game of a best-and-fairest-winning season against South Melbourne, which goes on to affect the rest of his playing career.
1982: Daniher is named as the youngest captain in Essendon’s history, but misses the entirety of the season due to a serious knee injury. He remains sidelined in both 1983 and a premiership-winning 1984 season.
May 25, 1985: After an absence of more than three years, Daniher makes a remarkable return to the field against Melbourne. He goes on to play four more games, but is then sidelined for another three years.
June 17, 1989: Daniher again returns from another lengthy absence, lining up against Sydney and playing with brother Anthony for the first time with Essendon.
May 22, 1990: Daniher lines up alongside brothers Terry, Anthony and Chris in New South Wales’ famous State of Origin win over Victoria at the MCG.
September 1, 1990: After all four Daniher brothers play alongside each other for Essendon for the first time as they defeat St Kilda in the final round of the home and away season, Neale brings an end to his 82-game VFL/AFL career.
1992: Daniher is appointed to serve as an Essendon assistant under his old coach Kevin Sheedy.
September 25, 1993: Essendon defeat Carlton in the grand final, with Daniher’s scouting of the Blues lauded as pivotal by Sheedy.
1994: After his third season as a coach with Essendon, Daniher heads to Perth to join the newly-formed Fremantle Dockers as an assistant to Gerard Neesham.
September 12, 1997: Daniher wins his first senior coaching job, being appointed to head up Melbourne.
September 18, 1998: Having finished last in 1997, Melbourne make it all the way to a preliminary final in Daniher’s first season at the helm, where they are beaten by North Melbourne.
September 2, 2000: After missing the finals in 1999, Daniher leads Melbourne to the grand final in 12 years. They suffer a 60-point defeat to his former side Essendon.
June 29, 2007: After announcing earlier in the week his 10th season in charge of Melbourne would be his last, Daniher coaches the Demons for the 223rd and final time in a two-point loss to Essendon. He quickly takes up a position as the chief executive of the AFL Coaches Association.
August 19, 2008: Daniher is appointed as West Coast’s general manager of football operations.
September 12, 2013: Daniher announces he is stepping down from his position at West Coast due to a health issue.
August 18, 2014: In an interview with fellow Essendon legend Tim Watson on 7NEWS, Daniher publicly reveals he has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease, an incurable neurodegenerative condition.
November 10, 2014: Alongside Pat Cunningham and Dr Ian Davis, Daniher founds FightMND to help raise funds and awareness in the battle against the disease. As of 2026, the organisation has invested more than $115 million into research and treatment towards finding a cure.
June 8, 2015: FightMND and the AFL partner to stage the ‘Big Freeze’ as part of the Queen’s Birthday game between Collingwood and Melbourne at the MCG. Garry Lyon and Dermott Brereton are among the first group of football legends to go down a slide into ice water as more than $2.2 million is raised for the cause. The event becomes annual.
June 12, 2016: Daniher is made a Member of the Order of Australia for his efforts to raise awareness of MND.
October 24, 2019: Daniher releases his first book, a biography written alongside Warwick Green titled When All Is Said & Done.
June 14, 2021: Daniher is elevated to an Officer of the Order of Australia.
January 25, 2025: Daniher is named the 2025 Australian of the Year.
May 25, 2026: Daniher dies aged 65, two weeks out from the 11th edition of the Big Freeze game.
