Former AFL player and motor neurone disease campaigner Neale Daniher named Australian of the Year

Neale Daniher played AFL for Essendon FC – where at age 20 he became the club’s youngest ever captain – and went on to coach Melbourne FC. Since his diagnosis, he has been a public face of the disease.

Australian of the Year Neale Daniher AO of Victoria pictured in Canberra before the Saturday announcement. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Former AFL player and motor neurone disease charity co-founder Neale Daniher has been named Australian of the Year for raising awareness of and campaigning for a cure for the disease.

Mr Daniher, himself diagnosed with MND in 2013, co-founded FightMND the year afterwards with AFL executive Pat Cunningham – who lost his wife to MND in 2016 – and medical doctor Ian Davis who was diagnosed with MND in 2011.

The organisation is behind the iconic annual ‘Big Freeze’ event.

Mr Daniher, 63, has now lived with the disease for over 10 years, defying the average post-diagnosis life expectancy of 27 months.

MND is a type of a rare, debilitating disease that affects motor neurons, the cells that carry messages from the brain to the muscles. When those nerves degrade and die, that person’s muscles weaken. This can lead to difficulty in swallowing, breathing, or moving.

MND Australia says around 2,688 Australians are affected by the disease.

There are currently no approved treatments for most MND diseases.

Mr Daniher played AFL for Essendon FC – where at age 20 he became the club’s youngest ever captain – and went on to coach Melbourne FC. Since his diagnosis, he has been a public face of the disease. FightMND has raised and invested over $100m into research to find a cure for the disease.

Mr Daniher, who has lost the ability to speak for extended periods, delivered his address in a pre-recorded synthetic voice while sitting in his wheelchair.

“This recognition isn’t just for me,” he said. “It belongs to the entire MND community, the families, the carers, the researchers, the volunteers, all those at the FightMND foundation and MND state associations and the countless Australians who have joined us in this fight.

“It also belongs to my family, headed by my wife Jan and our children and their partners, who have been with me every step of the way on this challenging journey.”

He said MND was not incurable and said it was simply “underfunded and misunderstood”.

“In my lifetime, I hope we find the underlying causes of MND, better treatments and, ultimately, a cure,” he said.

“But beyond that, I hope to leave a legacy that says this, no matter the odds, no matter the diagnosis, we all have the power to choose to fight, to choose our attitude, to choose to smile and to choose to do something.

“Because the mark of a person isn’t what they say, it’s what they do.

“Tonight, I’m grateful and honoured to be Australian of the Year. I know that this nomination will help grow awareness for our cause so that together, as Australians, we can continue this fight against the beast and one day achieve our vision, a world without MND.”

Chair of the Australia Day Council John Foreman said “Neale’s dedication to changing the outcomes for people diagnosed with motor neurone disease while dealing with his own health is truly inspirational”.

“His efforts today are giving people hope for tomorrow,” he said.

Senior Australian of the Year has been awarded to Brother Thomas Oliver Pickett, who co-founded Wheelchairs for Kids in 1996 to provide adjustable wheelchairs and occupational therapy expertise for children in developing countries free of charge.

Since then, the organisation has delivered more than 60,000 custom-built wheelchairs to children in more than 80 countries.

The Young Australian of the Year is scientist Katrina Wruck, who has innovated ways to convert mining by-products to remove contaminants from water. With her research, she has set up a business, Nguki Kula Green Labs, to harness green chemistry.

Australia’s Local Heroes were Vanessa Brettell and Hannah Costello, co-founders of Cafe Stepping Stone in Canberra. Their cafe employs mostly women from migrant and refugee backgrounds.

Anthony Albanese, who handed out the awards in Canberra, paid tribute to all the award nominees.

“Australians have always found ways to do things better, to make our country better,” the Prime Minister said.

“It is that spirit that drives us as we look ahead and set about building the future.

“For what burns in our hearts as brightly as our compassion, fairness and generosity is our ambition, our curiosity, and our courage.

“That’s the spirit we see embodied by every Australian of the Year, and by every Australian who has ever been nominated.

“Every nominee who is here tonight is already an extraordinary part of the Australian story.”