AFL hero ‘honoured’ by prestigious award

AFL legend Neale Daniher is among the football identities recognised by this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

The 60-year-old, who played 82 games for the Bombers and went on to coach the Demons from 1998-2007, has been named an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for his “distinguished service to people with motor neurone disease”.

The accolade is the second highest awarded by the Order of Australia and the highest received by an Australian rules identity this year.

“While I am incredibly honoured to have this award, we don’t need any more awards, we just need to find a cure,” Daniher told News Corp on Monday.

Daniher was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2013 and has since been instrumental in establishing the AFL’s annual BigFreeze fixture.

Contested by Melbourne and Collingwood each year on the Queen’s Birthday public holiday, the BigFreeze is organised by the AFL in partnership with Fight MND and has raised millions for motor neurone disease research since its inaugural edition in 2015.

The match, so named for the tradition of sports and media identities pledging funds and being dunked in ice prior to the first bounce, will take place at the SCG this year amid Melbourne’s Covid-19 outbreak.

You can donate to @FightMND here: https://t.co/eg3BO08GTm

“Neale Daniher is a very public example of the very best that we see in people – those who step forward to give their time and effort in the support of others in our community,” said Richard Goyder, chairman of the Australian Football League Commission.

“He has been deservedly honoured and, on behalf of the AFL Commission and our wider game, I also wish to congratulate all those who have been honoured and recognised, and to thank all those within Australian football who have worked for our game and for their local regions and areas.”

In total, 36 individuals affiliated with Australian rules football were recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Former Essendon FC president David Shaw (OAM), former Essendon star Michael Long (OAM) and Lions deputy chair Associate Professor Sarah Kelly (OAM) were among the recipients.

Long’s “service to Australian Rules Football and the Indigenous community” has been recognised. Pic Darren Tindale. Australian Rules A/CTSource:News Corp Australia

2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours, with Australian football links:

AO

Neale Daniher

Dr Ian Freckleton QC

Peter Ivany

AM

Joe Carrozzi

Tony Cochrane

Ian Cox

Dr Allan Curtis

Robert Gregory

Tim Keele

Charlie King

The Honourable David Porter

Gary Simonds

Professor Peter Yu

OAM

Dr Peter Baquie

Colin Chirgwin

Jan Cooper

Kevin Curran

Peter De Rauch

William Doherty

Mark Durdin

Phil Emery

Robert Finn

Richard Gloede

Bec Goddard

Allan Guthrie

Associate Professor Sarah Kelly

Rosie King

Michael Long

Kevin Mitchell

Lance Netherway

David Owen

Erin Phillips

David Shaw

Patrick Smith

Rox Snar

Lawrie Woodman

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