The Fremantle Football Club extends its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of AFL Legend and 2025 Australian of the Year, Neale Daniher, following his courageous fight with MND.
Daniher was an inaugural assistant coach with Fremantle from 1995-1997 and more recently led our Crossing for Inclusion ahead of the Club’s Purple Hands Foundation Game in 2025.
Daniher played 82 games with Essendon and coached 223 games at Melbourne, including the 2000 AFL Grand Final.
Championing a future free from MND became Daniher’s legacy as he fought his own battle with what he called ‘the beast’ after being diagnosed in 2013.
Daniher’s FightMND Foundation is celebrated each June with the ‘Big Freeze’ fundraiser on the annual King’s Birthday fixture at the MCG.
In 2016, Daniher was recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) before being promoted to Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2021. Daniher was honoured as Australian of the Year in 2025.
Neale Daniher was 65 and will be remembered fondly by the Fremantle family.
