Toughness. How do you define it?

Is it Beau Waters going back with the flight of the ball with the game on the line in the 2006 Grand Final? Yeah that fits the tag.

Is it Andrew Gaff gut running for 120 minutes, breaking his opponents physically and mentally as he plays a vital role in team victory? Put a tick alongside that as well. 

Is it Brad Sheppard locking down on the likes of explosive match winning small forwards like Charlie Cameron or Robbie Gray, his concentration unwavering. You bet it is.

But in terms of toughness, a man walking and talking courage every day, there is nothing and no one who comes close to the bravery and commitment to a cause demonstrated by Neale Daniher.

‘Rowdy’, ‘Nealo’ or ‘the Rev’, depending on how you wish to address the man, he has been an inspiration for close to a decade after being diagnosed with MND. He has not allowed ‘the beast’ as he labels it, to define him.

Neale was General Manager – Football at the West Coast Eagles when he first experienced unusual discomfort in one of his hands. Specialists spent some time working through exactly what the issue might be, before reaching the conclusion that it was the initial stages of motor neuron disease.

In his time at the Eagles, we often ventured to Wembley Golf Course on a Tuesday afternoon – the players’ day off – to shoot the breeze over nine holes. The golf was almost incidental. It was a good way to discuss issues of the day, work through a plan for the week.

We won’t talk about winners and losers. A molly duker with a decent slice, he generally went left, and I was invariably off to the right. My slice was better than his, much better.

The chat over a beer was always the fun part.

As the strength in his hand slowly deteriorated, he lost a bit of length off the tee. But he never lost his sense of humour. He still hasn’t.

Over the last seven years, Neale has become the public face of the Fight MND campaign. He has been responsible for raising both awareness and millions of dollars towards research in the quest for a cure.

We all buy those iconic blue beanies (available at Bunnings or Coles) to support the cause. 

Neale has known all along that his fundraising campaign probably would not help him personally. But he has been unflinchingly relentless in his quest. It has been his purpose.

Even on Tuesday night when he appeared on AFL 360, alongside his daughter Bec, he was still laughing his hearty laugh. The glint was in his eye. It is difficult these days for him to articulate his thoughts, such has the deterioration been in his speech.

He concentrates intently on every word. It’s hard going, but he chugs through as only he can, still lighting up the room. His energy and spirit in the face of adversity is infectious.

At this time every year his enthusiasm peaks. We’re approaching the Queen’s Birthday long weekend in Melbourne. It means the Big Freeze at the G.

Only this year, the signature match between Melbourne and Collingwood will be held at the ‘G in Sydney. Such is life in these COVID times.   

Awareness around the Fight against MND reaches its zenith, when football celebrities – be they past or current players, coaches or umpires, administrators or media personalities – take the chilly plunge into an icy pool at the SCG.

It’s hard to imagine anyone refusing to partake when Neale comes knocking. How could they? A few minutes bobbing around in freezing water is nothing. Play on.