I think back to the first time I met Neale. It was June 8, 2018, and he had come into the club to speak ahead of Big Freeze 4. I had been pretty sheltered to Neale’s story at that point. To be honest, I didn’t even know the enormity of the game and what he was going through – I had only joined the Dees that year – and it hadn’t got that big yet.

I remember a mix of feelings walking into the theatrette at AAMI Park. I was excited, thinking how cool it was to be able to hear from former coach Neale Daniher, but I was mostly feeling sorry for myself. I had done my knee the week prior and was mere days post-surgery. There was a lot of ‘woe is me’, wondering what I was going to do and how I was going to get through the next 12 months on the sidelines. I thought my world was ending.

From the moment Neale started speaking, it was just silence. A silence I’d never heard in a room before. He had our full attention. His theme that year was all about opportunity, and how you act in the face of adversity. How are you going to put yourself out there? How are you going to react to what’s in front of you? He related it to his own story and being given 27 months to live – that’s how long the average person lives once diagnosed with MND. Does he just sit back and wait for those 27 months to be up, or does he get up and help?

It caught me by surprise when I heard my name. Amongst this, he could tell I was down in the dumps, and plucked me out of the crowd to ask a simple question: what’s the opportunity to change your attitude right now? I can honestly say that that moment turned my whole rehab. Every time I would feel down, I thought: ‘well, I can choose my attitude here’. Neale reminded me that my mindset was the only thing I could choose and control in this situation. To this day, I’m very thankful to him for that.

Fast forward seven years, and Neale is still full of so much wisdom. We cherish every time he comes into the club. He continues to come up with some gold, that inspires us, motivates us and provides perspective that few could, and he does so with the biggest smile. His quotes are everywhere on our walls, especially in the coaches’ area, and I find myself venturing over there whenever things get tough. His famous line ‘when all is said and done, more is said than done’ is a favourite among the players, and having it on the little pin as part of this year’s beanie reminds me just how powerful it is.

Speaking of, it’s pretty cool to see how the football community has embraced the blue beanie over the past decade. I went to FightMND’s Big Freeze 10 launch last month and listening to Bec, Neale’s daughter, share the story of how the beanie came to be – and how she had to convince her dad that a bandana was not the way to go – was remarkable. It’s amazing how many people go out and buy the new beanie, in support of Neale and his fight. I was moving house recently and went through my hat drawer; sure enough, I’ve got seven beanies. I just love that you keep them, and they become a bit of a collector’s item. I would never, ever throw them out, and I’m sure I would be like many fans in that respect.

The blue beanie is a symbol of resilience, but also of hope. I can only imagine what it does for those battling MND; for the two people diagnosed with MND each day. To have someone like Neale fighting the fight, and bringing the entire football community along on the journey, is pretty amazing. I’m not sure if there would be many people that would do what he has done in this situation. In the face of adversity, he has been able to change his whole mindset, even though he is not going to be the one reaping the rewards. He has found purpose in fighting for others. That’s pretty admirable.

For us, Neale epitomises what it means to be a Melbourne person. His courage, resilience, selflessness and optimism are unmatched, and he is everything we aspire to be. He means so much to those within the four walls of our football club, but also to our supporters. They go crazy every time his face pops up on the big screen at our games and they light up whenever his name is mentioned. We all just love him, and are better people for having him part of our lives.

Neale, thank you for all you have done, and continue to do. You’re such an inspiration to every single one of us here, but the impact you’re having in the community is something you should be so proud of. Keep fighting, keep smiling and keep trying to make those classic Neale jokes. When the day comes and we get that breakthrough we’ve all been waiting, searching and fighting for, you’ll be the first person I call.