The Spirit of Neale Daniher medal should be awarded to the player who embodies the great man

Neale Daniher has become a symbol of hope and bravery. Mark Robinson says its time for the AFL to create an honour in his name. Join the debate.

Every person in Victoria would be thrilled for Neale Daniher.

Because not only is Daniher a great Victorian, he’s a valorous, selfless and wonderful person.

And it didn’t need Daniher to be officially named Victorian of the Year on Monday for that to be recognised.

Still, worthy is an understatement.

His pledge to raise funds — and he’s helped raise tens of millions of dollars — to find a cure for motor neurone disease has touched every person and every town in Australia.

The Freeze at the ’G has become a iconic event.

The beanies have become a must-have.

Throughout it all, Daniher has become a symbol of hope and bravery.

It’s why Monday’s award felt perfectly right.

And if Daniher wins the Australian of the Year, of which he is now a contender, that would be perfectly all right too.

Neale Daniher with this year’s cop of Big Freeze participants. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images.

Daniher transcends football, but football also has a place for Neale Daniher.

It’s why the AFL should consider creating a Neale Daniher award and consider doing it before the “beast’’ lays claim.

It should be called the Spirit of Neale Daniher and be awarded to the player who embodies what Daniher is about.

Every player should vote.

Or every club should nominate a player and the winner then be chosen by a panel of football people.

Words such as brave, resilient, unity, care, commitment, conviction and selfless are their criteria.

All those words encompass the spirit of the man who has devoted his life to football and family and spent his finals year, not at home asking “why me”, but raising money to find a cure to help people he doesn’t even know.

Unquestionably, he’s earned a special football award.

Neale Daniher. talks to the media after being named 2019 Victorian of the Year. Picture: Mark Stewart

There’s already the Robert Rose Most Courageous Award for the most courageous player, won previously by the likes of Glenn Archer, Gavin Brown, Luke Hodge, Michael Voss and Paul Kelly.

And Daniher last year was the recipient of the John Kennedy award for lifetime service to football.

But surely there’s a space to recognise Daniher further.

So in 100 years’ time, when people of the day ask who Daniher was, they can be told he was a brilliant young footballer who suffered three knee reconstructions who fought back to play senior football, who played with three of his brothers for Essendon, who coached, who cared, a man who was given a death sentence, who convinced all kinds of crazy people to play dress-up and slide into ice at the MCG, and who raised millions of dollars.

Neale Daniher with Brent Harvey and Sam Mitchell before this year’s Big Freeze 5. Picture: Sarah Matray

They’ll say he sounds like a legend.

The award could be presented on Brownlow Medal night.

It could be presented at the most pure football night of the year, the Hall of Fame.

That is football’s most sacred night and that, too, would feel perfectly all right.

Imagine that. In a room filled with former legends and players, their deeds awash in footy folklore, the winner is invited to accept the Spirit of Neale Daniher medal.

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Maybe it’s the members of the Hall of Fame who vote for the winner.

What a truly wonderful tribute that would be.

Daniher yesterday accepted his Victorian of the Year award in true Daniher fashion.

He smiled through the pain and in typical Daniher style he thought of others.

“It’s a bit of a surprise,’’ he said.

“It’s a proud moment for my family and my wife, Jan, and I’m very honoured to be here and accept the award.’’

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Originally published as The Spirit of Neale Daniher medal should be awarded to the player who embodies the great man