Neale Daniher
Encyclopedia
Neale Francis Daniher is a former Australian rules football
er who played with the Essendon
Football Club in the Australian Football League
(AFL). Neale was also an Assistant Coach to the Essendon and Fremantle
Football Clubs and the Coach of the Victorian State Team and the Melbourne
Football Club. Neale's brothers, Terry
, Anthony
and Chris
, also played for Essendon in the AFL. Neale is the current General Manager (Football Operations) of the West Coast Eagles
.
and later Assumption College
in Kilmore
, Victoria
, a small town 60 km north of Melbourne, where he would finish his school education. He would then go to the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University
, where he learned about the emerging technology of the 1980s, such as computers.
It was during his childhood that Neale showed his love for sport, namely Australian rules football, playing in the Northern Riverina Football League
(NRFL) on Saturdays while playing rugby league at school carnivals. It was during his time in the NRFL that Neale won several premierships and best & fairest awards before going to college, where he would play Australian rules football and rugby union. It was in 1978 that both the South Melbourne
and Essendon
Football Clubs approached Neale for his signature. After a following legal battle between the two clubs, Essendon won the right to recruit Neale, as South Melbourne had signed a contract that said Essendon had this right due to South Melbourne trading Terry to Essendon in exchange for Neville Fields
.
that Neale permanently retired.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er who played with the Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
Football Club in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL). Neale was also an Assistant Coach to the Essendon and Fremantle
Fremantle Football Club
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia...
Football Clubs and the Coach of the Victorian State Team and the Melbourne
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
Football Club. Neale's brothers, Terry
Terry Daniher
Terrence "Terry" John Daniher is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the South Melbourne and Essendon Football Clubs in the Australian Football League . Terry was also an Assistant Coach to the Essendon, Collingwood, St Kilda and Carlton Football Clubs. Terry's brothers, Neale,...
, Anthony
Anthony Daniher
Anthony Joseph Daniher is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the South Melbourne/Sydney and Essendon Football Clubs in the Australian Football League . Anthony's brothers, Terry, Neale and Chris, also played for Essendon in the AFL...
and Chris
Chris Daniher
Christopher "Chris" James Daniher is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League . His brothers Terry, Neale and Anthony also played for Essendon in the AFL...
, also played for Essendon in the AFL. Neale is the current General Manager (Football Operations) of the West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
.
Early life and childhood
Neale was born the third child of James "Jim" Daniher and Edna Daniher (née Erwin) on 15 February 1961 at West Wyalong Base Hospital. Neale went to St Joseph's Catholic School for his primary education before going to St Patrick's Catholic College in GoulburnGoulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
and later Assumption College
Assumption College, Kilmore
Assumption College is a Roman Catholic, secondary, co-educational, day and Boarding school, located in Kilmore, Victoria, Australia.Founded in 1893, the college first took boarders in 1901, and was a boys' school until 1982, when it became coeducational. The current principal is Mr...
in Kilmore
Kilmore, Victoria
Kilmore is a town in the Australian state of Victoria. Located north of Melbourne, it is contentiously claimed as Victoria's oldest inland settled town...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, a small town 60 km north of Melbourne, where he would finish his school education. He would then go to the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University
RMIT University
RMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....
, where he learned about the emerging technology of the 1980s, such as computers.
It was during his childhood that Neale showed his love for sport, namely Australian rules football, playing in the Northern Riverina Football League
Northern Riverina Football League
The Northern Riverina Football Netball League is an Australian rules football and netball competition containing seven clubs in the northern Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The league features four grades in the Australian rules football competition, these being seniors, under 17s,...
(NRFL) on Saturdays while playing rugby league at school carnivals. It was during his time in the NRFL that Neale won several premierships and best & fairest awards before going to college, where he would play Australian rules football and rugby union. It was in 1978 that both the South Melbourne
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
and Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
Football Clubs approached Neale for his signature. After a following legal battle between the two clubs, Essendon won the right to recruit Neale, as South Melbourne had signed a contract that said Essendon had this right due to South Melbourne trading Terry to Essendon in exchange for Neville Fields
Neville Fields
Neville Fields is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon and South Melbourne in the VFL.Fields was a left footed centreman and won Essendon's 'Most improved player' award in 1971. He was their best and fairest the following season and went on to represent Victoria in...
.
VFL/AFL playing career
From 1979-1990 Neale played for Essendon in the VFL/AFL, playing only 82 games due to several injuries. He managed to make history alongside his brothers when they became the first quartet of brothers to play for the same team in a State of Origin match and in a home-and-away game. It was after the 1990 season1990 AFL season
Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 1990.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-Ladder:All teams played 22 games during the home and away season, for a total of 154...
that Neale permanently retired.
Further reading
- Daniher, Terry Daniher, Neale Daniher, Anthony Daniher and Chris Daniher. The Danihers: The Story of Football's Favourite Family. Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 2009. ISBN 1741756510