A GIANT, a hero, a dad and a husband – AFL legend and motor neurone disease crusader Neale Daniher was it all.

Daniher, who became the symbol of the fight against the disease, passed away on May 25 aged 65 after a 13-year, public battle with what he called ‘The Beast’.

On Wednesday, more than 1000 people flocked to the same hallowed ground where Daniher played for Essendon and later coached Melbourne.

Wife Jan Daniher delivered the first eulogy, remembering her beloved husband not for his diagnosis but his character, integrity, humility, honesty, strength, resilience and sharp wit.

When The Beast was delivering its final blows, daughter Loz said all he wanted to do was to get up.

“Even when his body was failing, his mind was still fighting on right to the very end,” she said.

Luke Daniher remembered a football saying his dad often cited, “when it’s your turn to go, you go”.

“When MND came calling, dad didn’t ask why,” he said.

“He didn’t step back, he stepped forward, because if he expected others to fight, he knew he had to fight too.”

Brutally honest, Daniher was remembered for the feedback he gave Ben in his first game back in local football after the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Having gained weight, he told his father it didn’t matter as he was an inside-midfielder and being bigger worked fine for Carlton’s Patrick Cripps.

“I could see him grinning as he typed out his response. When the machine finally spouted out, he said, ‘Well, you’re not Crippa and Crippa’s not fat’,” Ben said.

Daniher’s brother Anthony also offered a tribute along with Brisbane’s 2025 premiership coach, Chris Fagan, who worked with Daniher for many years at the Demons.

Former Melbourne captain David Neitz and teammate Paul Hopgood, who both played for Daniher during his near decade-long tenure as Melbourne’s senior coach, also spoke.

One attendee, Cathy O’Brien, went to the funeral in honour of a close friend whose husband succumbed to motor neurone disease, an incurable and fatal condition.

“To be unwell and to do everything he did, with the support of his family … it’s truly amazing,” Ms O’Brien told AAP.

Daniher was diagnosed with the disease in 2013. The average life expectancy is 27 months, but he survived for 13 years.

FightMND, the charity he co-founded, has committed more than $141 million to medical research for treatments and to ultimately find a cure.

In 2025, Daniher was named Australian of the Year for his contributions in leading the fight against the disease, inspiring millions of Australians with hope.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed the invincible optimism of a hero who confronted adversity most people could not imagine at odds that could not be beaten.

“When he lost his voice, his words became more powerful,” the PM said.

“When he could no longer walk, more and more Australians put on their beanies and marched at his side.”

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.

Premier Jacinta Allan honoured Daniher as a man of courage, purpose and love, who never hid his condition and did not pretend it was anything other than brutal.

“Because of him, there is now a stream of light where there was none before,” she said.

Daniher is survived by his wife, 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 he and his 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.