Neale Daniher urges Melbourne players to embrace positivity

The Australian of the Year has delivered an inspiring speech on the power of positivity to Melbourne footballers ahead of the Big Freeze at the ‘G.

Australian of the Year Neale Daniher has delivered an inspirational message on the power of positivity to Melbourne footballers in the lead-up to Big Freeze at the ‘G.

Despite battling cruel and deadly Motor Neurone Disease, Daniher stressed the importance of not giving into negative thoughts in a powerful speech to the Dees’ inner sanctum on Tuesday.

“If there’s anything I want to leave you with today, it’s this,’’ he said.

“Don’t wait for a crisis to learn that you are more powerful than you think.

“Never underestimate the ripple effect of one small act of courage on the field or off it. “Because when you lean into the uncomfortable, when you act for something bigger than yourself you can change lives and you might just change your own.’’

Neale Daniher addresses the Melbourne Football club ahead of Monday’s Big Freeze at the G. Picture: Michael Klein

The former Essendon footy star and AFL coach delivered the lesson in life to past and present Dees players in an intimate MCG meeting, observed by the Herald Sun.

The rallying cry comes as Daniher prepares for Fight MND’s biggest annual fundraiser at the MCG on Monday, with 85,000 fans tipped for the Melbourne-Collingwood King’s Birthday blockbuster.

Speaking with the aid of technology because MND has robbed him of his voice, Daniher revealed he was torn between “Mr Negative” and “Mr Positive” when first diagnosed with the disease with an average life expectancy of 27 months in 2013.

The speech comes as Daniher prepares for Fight MND’s biggest annual fundraiser at the MCG on Monday. Picture: Michael Klein

“No cure. No treatment. Three years to live. Maybe less,’’ he said.

“Now that’s a lot to take in.

“It rocks your world. And like anyone I went through the full range of emotions — disbelief, anger, denial.’’

Daniher said he faced “a constant dialogue in my head” between “Mr Negative and Mr Positive Voices’’ as he considered the hand he was dealt.

“Mr Negative was loud, he said ‘you’re stuffed. ‘There’s no coming back from this’’’ he said. “And to be honest, I didn’t have the greatest argument against that at the time.

“But then eventually Mr Positive spoke up and asked ‘how’s that working for you? ‘Sitting in misery listening to that voice?’

“And I had to admit it wasn’t working at all.

“It was making me more anxious, more miserable.’’

Daniher told the room: “That was the start of a shift.

“I didn’t suddenly become a superhero.

“I didn’t have a plan but I did realise one thing — if I kept listening to Mr Negative, I was already done.

“And that’s something that applies far beyond illness.’’

Daniher said he faced a constant dialogue in his head between ‘Mr Negative and Mr Positive Voices’. Picture: Michael Klein

While his speech was meant to inspire Max Gawn’s men as they take to the field for the 11th edition of Big Freeze at the ‘G, he hoped everyday Aussies could also find meaning in his message.

“We all have those internal voices, the ones that say, ‘I’m not good enough’ and ‘I’m just one person, what difference can I make?’,’’ he said.

“We all build these stories in our heads.

“(Psychiatrist and author) Gordon Livingston put it well when he said ‘the most secure prisons are the ones we construct for ourselves’.

“They’re build from fear, self doubt, comfort.

“But here’s the thing — you can’t break free of those prisons unless you confront the stories you’re telling yourself … You never know the impact until you try something.’’

Originally published as Neale Daniher urges Melbourne players to embrace positivity