Neale Daniher launching Big Freeze 7 with Taylor Adams and Jack Viney. Photo: @melbournefc Twitter
Melbourne leader Jack Viney has praised Neale Daniher at the launch of Big Freeze 7, stating “if I admire to be like anyone, Neale’s certainly that person.”
The Big Freeze 7 was launched on Monday in support of Neale Daniher and his FightMND foundation, with round 13 scheduled to host the annual Queen’s Birthday clash between Melbourne and Collingwood.
Viney emphasised how important participating in the Big Freeze at ‘G was for the Melbourne Football Club, and its connection with Daniher and the FightMND foundation.
“It means a tremendous deal. Everyone can see he’s an inspirational human, he’s got a lot of history at the football club – he coached my old man,” he said
“We love being a part of this round, being a part of the Big Freeze, and supporting Neale.”
“All [of] the football club love it; the players love being part of it. Neale’s come and spoke to us in the past so every player’s got so much out of it, he’s an incredibly selfless person which we can see.”
“That rubs off on everyone so I think there’s a lot to that selflessness [that lends itself] to playing good football. He’s an incredibly inspirational human and the players get a lot from him.”
Daniher was shown on the big screen at last weekend’s Melbourne game. When on the big screen, the crowd erupted, such is the popularity of the larger-than-life figure in Australian sport and society.
“He’s a unique human; he has a way with words,” Viney stated.
“He has a presence about him that is felt by everyone. I think he has the utmost respect from the Australian community, and every time his face pops up on screen or he’s involved with something, people want to be involved with it.”
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Neale Daniher is now going on seven years living with the insidious motor neurone disease, which continually damages the nervous system and leads to muscle weakness. The average life expectancy of patients is just over two years.
“Hearing the doctor speak about [how] there’s no effective treatments, and no cures for MND is incredibly scary. Particularly for people who have been diagnosed with it and families who are affected by it,” Viney said.
“That’s why Neale and his team are so passionate about the Big Freeze, getting that funding to try come up with a cure and some treatments to ‘tame the beast’.
“That’s probably one of the things I admire most about him. It wasn’t just a one-year or two-year thing; this would obviously continue to get more difficult for him as the years go on but this has just gotten bigger and bigger.
“That’s because of Neale and his family and the MND team. The word inspiration – if I admire to be like anyone, Neale’s certainly that person.”
Jack Viney is currently recovering from a stress fracture in his big toe. The injury has ruled him out of action since round six, but he is making sure his body is fit and firing to go come Big Freeze 7 at the MCG.
“I’ll be cherry ripe for the Big Freeze, that’s for sure. In terms of when I come back, I’m not 100 percent sure but it’s tracking really well,” Viney said.
FightMND Big Freeze 7 beanies are now available for purchase here, and are sold at Coles and Bunnings from now until round 13’s clash.
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