Gippsland: Ben Daniher starring in second season with Moe

Second-year Moe star Ben Daniher’s inspiration comes from his dad Neale’s famous fight, as the Gippsland club is set to host its first MND fundraiser.

Ben Daniher doesn’t know how many more games his inspirational father, Neale, will see him play.

Another one will take place on Saturday for Moe in the Gippsland league as he counts himself blessed for the matches his dad has watched despite suffering from motor neurone disease.

On the day the bombshell news dropped nine years ago about his father’s greatest battle, one of the first things Ben did was bolt to his bedroom, Googled MND and discovered, much to his horror, that the average life expectancy after diagnosis was only 27 months.

But, the disease the Daniher family has famously dubbed “The Beast” still hasn’t beaten Neale.

Two days after Ben plays his next game for Moe, the Danihers will front up at the MCG for the latest Big Freeze marquee fundraiser before the Melbourne-Collingwood clash.

Neale Daniher his son Ben who plays for Moe in the Gippsland league. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Almost $20 million was raised for FightMND last year with the Danihers “grateful” for every day their father remains with them and the tidal wave of support they receive nationwide for the cause.

“I wouldn’t say we’re surprised he is still with us because we know how tough and resilient he is,” Ben said.

“But it’s a daunting prospect knowing he is not going to be around much longer.

“We’re just so grateful.”

Ben joined Moe last year and the club will stage its first MND fundraiser on Saturday.

Twelve months ago another Gippsland league club, Bairnsdale, held its inaugural Big Freeze event, complete with slide, and raised more than $25,000.

Neale Daniher was diagnosed with MND nine years ago. Picture: David Crosling

Neale provided the impetus for Moe jumping on board the FightMND juggernaut despite his ailing health.

“He is struggling a bit,” Ben said.

“It won’t come as a surprise to anyone because the disease truly is a beast.

“It slowly takes away your ability to use your hands and people will notice his speech is all but gone.

“That is really tough for him, but he is incredibly stoic and still calling all the shots.

“The old coach in him hasn’t gone away.

“He will continue to fight until his very last breath.”

The Danihers were living in Perth when Neale was diagnosed with MND.

After a tumultuous nine years as Melbourne coach ended in 2007, Neale took on a football operations role at the West Coast Eagles and Ben started his own career with WAFL club Claremont when the family was in the west.

But upon confirmation the fight of their lives was underway, the Danihers moved back to Melbourne.

Ben joined Blackburn and played more than 100 matches between 2015 and 2021 before heading bush for the first time in his career.

He was a best and fairest winner in his first season and the closest he came to playing in an Eastern league premiership with Blackburn was losing the 2019 grand final to Vermont after bowing out in the preliminary final the previous two seasons.

Moe’s Ben Daniher takes possession in the first round win against Morwell this year. Picture: Daniel Heathcote

He joined close mates Jordan Ceppi and Kristian Jaksch at Moe at the start of last year and the 2022 season started full of promise with six successive wins.

But the Lions were hit with an injury tsunami and missed finals.

The trio were briefly reunited at the start of this season until Jaksch went down with a season-ending knee injury in round 2.

Approaching the halfway mark of the season, Moe is well positioned for a serious shot at ending its 56-year premiership drought.

The Lions were massive underdogs in the 1967 grand final they won with their opponent, Bairnsdale, entering the premiership decider on the back of an 18-match winning streak.

But against the odds, the Lions kicked three late goals to win by six points.

They have since played in seven grand finals and lost them all including four by only nine points between 1970 and 1974.

Two weeks ago the Lions snapped flag favourite Leongatha’s 34-match winning streak and last Saturday, Daniher was best-on-ground in the Lions’ big win over Drouin.

“We’re looking really good,” he said.

“It’s obviously a long year and a long way to go, but we’ve put ourselves in a good position to have a good crack at it

“Last year we struggled to keep players on the park, but so far, so good this year.

“It is a great standard of footy.

“It is a little bit different to the Eastern footy league, where you play on smaller grounds and things are a bit tighter.

“But I’m liking the bigger grounds even though I am slow and a bit of a plodder.

“There are some seriously good players in the Gippsland league.

“I’m loving every minute of it.”

Daniher works in a sales role with Melbourne Football Club based at the MCG.

His coach Declan Keilty had a brief stint with the Demons in 2018-19 before returning to Moe in 2021 and becoming one of the premier backmen of the Gippsland league.

Originally published as Gippsland: Ben Daniher starring in second season with Moe