THE proud family of Neale Daniher have pledged to continue the fight to find a cure for motor neurone disease, after he was named the 2025 Australian of the Year for his tireless advocacy.
The AFL legend and FightMND founder has spent more than a decade raising more than $100 million to find a cure for the disease.
Following his diagnosis in 2013, Mr Daniher has spearheaded the FightMND charity, which has gone on to fund medical research.
His daughter, Bec Daniher, described how her entire family was overcome with emotion when his name was read out.
“To see his smile up there … to listen to his speech, these are memories that will stay with us forever,” she told AAP.
“We’re so incredibly proud of Dad and everything he’s achieved.”
Ms Daniher said the award would allow their cause to support the “best and brightest researchers who will find a way to tame the beast”.
Accepting his award, Mr Daniher spoke of how the condition “robs” people of many of their abilities.
“But it did something else too: it lit a fire within me, a determination to fight for those who are currently affected and those who will face it after me,” he said.
