The Neale Daniher message that put a Melbourne Demons great on the slide, Nathan Jones, MCG, King’s Birthday game
Nathan Jones has previously been pushed out of his comfort zone by Neale Daniher.
As a teenager in 2006, he made his debut for Melbourne under the Demons’ uncompromising coach Daniher. He is now an assistant coach at the club and Daniher, who died of motor neurone disease two weeks ago, is sending him down the Big Freeze slide at the MCG in front of possibly 90,000 football fans.
Jones received a text from his former coach in the days after Melbourne defeated Carlton in the third round in late March.
He opened with a typically honest critique of the team; Daniher’s 12-year battle with MND had not dulled his passion for the game and how it should be played.
Then came the urge to be disruptive – Daniher wanted the former Demons captain to momentarily put aside his pre-match duties and go down the slide at Big Freeze 12 ahead of his team’s King’s Birthday match against Collingwood.
Daniher’s death at his home on May 25 made his former coach’s cry even more meaningful.
“He asked me if I wanted to do it and I obviously jumped at the question,” Jones said Sunday.
“I’m so honored and so grateful that he gave me this opportunity. As sad as it is now, looking back, I’m so happy he gave me this opportunity.”
“I’m so sad he won’t be there, but as he puts it, ‘keep playing’ is the best thing to do.”
Jones only spent a season and a half under Daniher at the Demons, but the experienced coach made a significant impact on him at the start of his AFL career, which totaled 302 matches, three best and fairest awards and captained the Dees for six seasons.
It was Daniher who gave Jones his debut late in the 2006 season, and it was also Daniher whose tough love pushed him to become a leading player. Those same lessons now influence his coaching at the Dees.
“I was actually quite afraid of him in the beginning. [He] He was an old-school coach who was quite ruthless, set in his ways, and preached humility and hard work; “They’re the cornerstone of what makes football teams and sports teams and professional organizations great,” Jones recalls. “But he also had a genuine warmth, and if you showed some of the values that he held so dear, then he was pretty into you.
“I think that was the case for me too. He was keen for you to stay sane. I’d finished my first year pretty well, had some personal recognition and some team success and played in a couple of AFL finals and then the VFL premiership, so I went into my end-of-season exit interview thinking things would only get better from here.”
“He gave me a hard time, telling me I needed to work harder, that I was out of shape, a bit overweight and that I hadn’t even scratched the surface of what I was capable of.
“If I don’t come back,” he added: [to the next pre-season] “And if I win the 3km time trial and have real purpose and focus, I won’t get anywhere.”
Jones took these facts to heart, playing 21 games in 2007 and finishing second to Alex McDonald in the club’s best and fairest award.
“I’ll look back fondly on those memories, but I’ll leave that meeting with my tail between my legs and ‘what did I do?'” Jones said. ‘ I walked out thinking,” Jones recalled.
“But ultimately it revolved around humility, high standards and high expectations, and looking back, I had a really strong sophomore year, and I think it was because he pushed me and put me on the path of accountability and made sure I started working.”
Daniher finished coaching the Demons in June 2007, but Jones’ bond with his former mentor grew even stronger in 2013 when Daniher was diagnosed with MND and launched his Big Freeze fundraisers the following year, raising more than $140 million.
Jones was captain of the Demons at the time and was aware that his paternal grandfather had died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the most common form of MND.
“My grandfather was in his 80s and died pretty quickly, so I didn’t look at it too much,” Jones said.
“But I was really familiar with the symptoms, and when Neale was diagnosed, I was like, ‘This is something my grandfather had.’ At the time, I didn’t think about how quickly my grandfather died and his life expectancy when he was diagnosed, but to think that Neale survived for 12 years is truly incredible.
“The way he did it so publicly, especially showing us how this disease works. It takes away so much of your independence, your dignity, your ability to speak and use your hands, but somehow it was incredible at bringing people together and inspiring them.”
Organizers have listed nine people to be shifted on Monday: Governor General Sam Mostyn, AC, former Magpie commentator Dale Thomas, Seven weather presenter Sam Mac, Australian netballer Jo Weston, football personality Dan Gorringe, sports broadcaster Mark Howard, Australian freestyle skiing gold medalist Cooper Woods, TV star Andy Lee and Jones.
Although Jones has had many involvements with Fight MND over the years, he never thought he would be asked to skate; A task that should be left between match preparations.
His costume, which was to be unveiled that day, was chosen knowing that Melbourne would need to put it on and take it off between pre-match team meetings.
“I have to get dressed a little bit, but it’s pretty efficient considering I’ll be slipping, jumping out, going down to the rooms and showering, then going straight to the bus lodge,” Jones said.
“There is always a great energy in the stadium these days and I think the most appropriate way to acknowledge his legacy would be to reiterate the full message and one day find a cure.”
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Roy Ward is a sports writer, live blogger and breaking news journalist. He has been writing for The Age since 2010.Connect with: X or email.
