Almanac Footy: Vale – Neale Daniher: a true champion RIP

 

 

 

Neale Daniher has passed away. 

 

I’m both shocked but not shocked. With the savage ‘beast’ constantly bearing down on him, death was always expected sooner or later but like many I thought he always would be there.

 

Neale Daniher could have been anything as a footballer.

 

He was gifted with talent and skills to burn. He had the poise, and the drive to be a success no matter what and he made the most of it as was displayed in his short career.

 

These attributes were clearly on display when I saw him play his first match, I think against Footscray. He looked and played like a champion, he was silky smooth, precise in everything he did, and undoubtably accolades of the highest order were awaiting him. But the ‘what’ came along in the form of a tragic knee injury  which he never fully recovered from. But he did manage to play along side his brothers, the only time four brothers have represented the one team thanks to Kevin Sheedy.

 

To me he is a great Essendon champion but of course he was much more than that, he was a champion bloke, a people’s champion. 

 

I really cannot convey in words the sadness I feel at the moment. Others can, and will.

 

RIP Neale Daniher.

 

 

 

More from Col Ritchie can be read Here

 

 

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