Bill Guest and Chris Fagan, two of Neale Daniher’s closest friends, have shared the heartbreaking final conversations they had with the AFL icon before his death at the age of 65 following a 13-year battle with motor neurone disease (MND).

Despite his declining health, Daniher reportedly never lost his famous sense of humor. But those closest to him knew the end was near.

“I knew when we left, we would never see Neale again — and that was incredibly sad,” Guest said emotionally.

Tributes have poured in from across the AFL world following Daniher’s passing on Monday, with grief mixed alongside admiration for the extraordinary fight he led both personally and publicly through the FightMND campaign.

Since its launch, FightMND has raised more than $100 million for research and support programs, with millions more expected to be added during next month’s Big Freeze event ahead of the King’s Birthday clash between Melbourne and Collingwood.

Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan described Daniher as the man who gave him his first opportunity in AFL football and helped build his confidence during his early years in the sport.

“Today is a really emotional day,” Fagan told Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters.

“He gave me my chance in AFL football. We became incredibly close friends, and our families became close as well. Our children grew up playing together.”

Fagan said Daniher made him feel like he truly belonged when he first arrived at Melbourne.

“He was someone who made me feel important and valued at a time when I was relatively unknown. He helped shape my confidence enormously, and I loved every minute of working with him.”

The pair remained close long after their time together at Melbourne ended.

Just weeks ago, Fagan unknowingly shared one final football conversation with Daniher during a match between Melbourne and Gold Coast at the MCG.

“I saw Neale sitting there in his wheelchair, so I walked over to speak with him,” Fagan recalled.

“I’m so grateful I had that moment because I didn’t realize it would be the last time.”

Even then, Daniher’s football instincts remained razor-sharp.

“He told me Melbourne might cause us some trouble in a couple of weeks — and he was absolutely right.”

Melbourne would later defeat Brisbane in a thrilling two-point win.

Fagan revealed he keeps every Big Freeze beanie displayed in his office at Brisbane’s Springfield headquarters as a daily reminder of Daniher’s resilience.

“Whenever I’m feeling sorry for myself or having a difficult day, I look at those beanies and think: ‘Toughen up. Follow his example. Keep going.’”

Bill Guest, the inaugural chairman of FightMND and a longtime Melbourne board member, also reflected on his final visit with Daniher.

“I saw him on Thursday afternoon, and it truly felt like goodbye,” Guest said.

“He was sitting in the living room surrounded by medical equipment. Deep down, I knew it would be the last time.”

Yet Daniher still found moments to joke around.

“He still had his humor. He was still making jokes,” Guest said.

“Even when Jenny called this morning to tell me he had passed, I still broke down in tears, even though we all knew this moment was coming.”

Guest described Daniher as “carefree, brutally honest, and unbelievably stubborn.”

Former Essendon teammate Tim Watson also paid tribute, calling Daniher one of the most extraordinary people he had ever known.

“He became my hero,” Watson said.

“I started as a young player alongside him, then became his teammate and eventually his friend. He was one of the most authentic people you could ever meet.”

Watson revealed he had actually planned to text Daniher on Monday morning before receiving the devastating call informing him of his death.

One of Watson’s proudest memories was interviewing Daniher after his 2013 MND diagnosis — a moment that would ultimately help launch what became one of Australia’s most powerful sporting charity movements.

“At the time, he had all these ideas about fundraising and awareness. None of us realized how enormous it would become.”

Watson said Daniher initially hesitated about becoming the public face of the campaign but eventually embraced the mission completely.

“It gave him purpose. And as we now know, he took it to a level nobody could have imagined.”

The famous Big Freeze slide became one of Australia’s most recognizable charity events, even leaving Fagan hospitalized after a memorable accident during his 2018 appearance.

“I completely tore my hamstring after slipping on the stairs,” Fagan laughed.

“Two days later I was in surgery.”

Guest joked that everyone involved was briefly terrified.

“We were all panicking a bit, Fages,” he laughed. “But somehow it became one of the iconic moments of the event.”

For those who knew him best, Daniher’s legacy will never simply be about football.

It will be about courage, loyalty, humor, and the determination to keep fighting even when the odds were impossible.

And now, as the AFL world mourns one of its most beloved figures, the impact Neale Daniher leaves behind continues to grow — while the entire country reflects on a life that inspired millions.