FORMER Melbourne coach Neale Daniher’s presence at the club in the lead-up to round eight was “really significant” in its win over the Western Bulldogs at the MCG on Sunday, according to captain Nathan Jones.
Daniher, who is fighting motor neuron disease, gave an inspiring speech to the Melbourne players on the back of its loss to Hawthorn.
But Jones, who was coached by Daniher for a season and a half in 2006-07, said it was moving to have the much-admired football figure back at the club.
“It (his speech) was pretty close to a few of us. He was my first coach while I was at the club. I’d been in contact with him and understood the position he was in, but for the boys who didn’t understand the situation – it was quite confronting,” he said.
“The honestly and his character really shone through. It’s unbelievable to see his resilience and the fight he faces with no cure.
“He understands that at some stage he’s going to pass away, but his fight and hunger to make a difference, and raise awareness is quite significant.
“There was a hidden message in there and he’s really passionate about the Melbourne footy club and he wants to see us do well again. I think the boys got a real lift out of that and it’s hard not to when you see the passion come through.”
Jones said Daniher’s message would ring true for the rest of the season.
“He spoke about hope and belief and getting back up and fighting,” he said.
“That’s the situation he finds himself in and he touched on his own experience that he’s going through.
“You go through the blame and the anger, but at some stage you have to stand up and fight. That’s the message we really took away and he spoke about the hope and belief and being able to generate that in the team. He generates that with himself and his family and friends.
“Some of the messages were really significant and those key themes will be something we grab hold of.”
Meanwhile, Jones said Jack Viney, Chris Dawes, Dom Tyson and Neville Jetta were all in the mix to return this weekend against Port Adelaide at Alice Springs.
