CHAIRMAN of the Australian Football League Commission, Mr Richard Goyder, said the wider game of Australian Rules Football congratulated all those who had been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for their service across the community.

Former Essendon player and Melbourne coach Neale Daniher has been elevated to AO for his tireless and brilliant work around fund-raising for a cure for Motor Neurone Disease, which is highlighted by Monday’s BigFreeze Seven as the lead-up to the game between Melbourne and Collingwood.

Mr Goyder said Daniher’s example, in the face of a debilitating disease, was inspirational and the game was thankful for his wider contribution to Australian life, along with the many contributors also recognised, particularly those had been honoured for many decades of work at community and grassroots level to protect and build the long-term health of the game.

“Neale Daniher is a very public example of the very best that we see in people - those who step forward to give their time and effort in the support of others in our community,” Mr Goyder said.

“He has been deservedly honoured and, on behalf of the AFL Commission and our wider game, I also wish to congratulate all those who have been honoured and recognised, and to thank all those within Australian football who have worked for our game and for their local regions and areas.

“At community levels across our country, the AFL Commission is thrilled to see that women and men with three, four and five decades of commitment to local clubs and local leagues have been rewarded. People who have been pillars of umpiring, leaders within our indigenous communities, those who have donated thousands of hours to running a league or a club, and those who have given years to provide opportunities for girls and boys to become part of our game with the first steps in the sport, are deservedly acknowledged today.

“Our congratulations also go to our high achievers, who have provided both inspiration and aspiration for those coming after them.

“Our game is now being improved every year by the increasing participation of women and girls and the leadership and achievement of Jan Cooper, Bec Goddard and Erin Phillips, has changed our game for the better and their enormous contribution has been recognised today. 

“Men such as Michael Long and Charlie King continue to lead in their communities every day while the service of senior club figures on our boards and key committees, invariably in an honourary basis at every level game of the game, is a foundation stone of why our game has been strong, and continues to thrive.

“The AFL and our game also congratulates all those who have been honoured too for service in all other roles in every part of Australian life, for the example they set in their every-day lives.” 

2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours, with Australian football links:  
(Of the list below, some are for very central roles within Australian football, while others have a strong focus in a key area of community service as noted, but also have contributions to the game among their public work).

AO

Neale Daniher - Distinguished service to people with Motor Neurone Disease. Lead work with the Fight MND public education and fundraising initiatives.
Dr Ian Freckleton QC - Distinguished service to the law. Across a long legal history, has also worked previously as a member of the Northern Football League Tribunal.
Peter Ivany - Distinguished service to the community as a supporter of sporting, arts, film, not-for-profit, and natural science organisations. Among his many roles, Chair of the Sydney Swans Foundation since 2005 and a life member of the Swans for service to the club.

AM

Joe Carrozzi - Significant Service to Business. Former Deputy Chair and Board member of the GWS Giants.
Tony Cochrane - Significant Service to Sports Administration. Current Chair of the Gold Coast Suns.
Ian Cox - Significant Service to the homeless and the community. Also contributed more than two decades as a volunteer in the Adelaide Football League.
Dr Allan Curtis - Significant Service to environmental management. Player, senior and junior coach in football in North East Victoria from 1978-2019.
Robert Gregory - Significant Service to the Community. Roles have include former Chair of the Port Adelaide FC Player Welfare Committee and 50-year club member.
Tim Keeler - Significant Service to the Community. Former President of the Darling Downs Junior Australian Football League and founder of the South Toowoomba Bombers.
Charlie King - Significant Service to the NT Indigenous Community. ABC Broadcaster since 1990 and member of the AFLNT Hall of Fame.
The Honourable David Porter - Significant Service to the law and judiciary. Across a long legal career, also served as president of the Northern Tasmanian Football Association in the 1980s.
Gary Simonds - Significant Service to the Building and Construction and Charitable Initiatives. Donor work includes the Geelong Cats Foundation ‘Our Ambition’ Program.
Professor Peter Yu - Significant Service to Indigenous Cultural and Political Organisations. Inaugural Deputy Chair of the AFL Aboriginal and Torres Strait Advisory Council.

OAM

Dr Peter Baquie - Service to sports medicine. Previous roles as club doctor at Hawthorn (2005-12), Collingwood (2013-14) and North Melbourne (2014-20).
Colin Chirgwin - Service to youth. Roles at Doncaster Junior Football Club since 2001 as a life member of the club.
Jan Cooper - Service to Australian Rules Football. Three-decade career across administration of the game for women and girls. Member of the WA Women’s Hall of Fame and former AFL Football Woman of the Year and former AFLW premiership cup ambassador.
Kevin Curran - Service to Australian Rules Football. Began as an umpire in SA community football in 1967 and has filled roles from community to SANFL level from 1978 to his retirement in 2012.
Peter De Rauch - Service to Community Health and Australian Rules Football. Former Shareholder, Director, Committee member and Deputy Chair at North Melbourne FC and club patron since 2008.
William Doherty - Service to Australian Rules Football. Began as a player in 1945 and then filled roles as committee member, club president, league president in the West Gippsland league for the next four decades.
Mark Durdin - Service to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Community roles include the Presidency of Deaf Australia Football for a decade, and the South Australia Deaf Football Club.
Phil Emery - Service to the Geelong community. Community roles included director of junior football with Ocean Grove Football Netball Club.
Robert Finn - Service to Goolwa community. Community roles included association delegate for Jabuk Football Club.
Richard Gloede - Service to Australian Rules Football. Roles variously from club roles to league roles at South Fremantle FC / Fremantle FC / West Australian Football Commission from 1978 - 2008.
Bec Goddard - Service to Australian Rules Football, Women in Sport. Inaugural AFLW Premiership coach with the Adelaide Crows and now Box Hill VFLW coach among long history of football roles.
Allan Guthrie - Service to the community. Among many community roles, Cowaramup Junior Football Club and Margaret River Super Rules.
Associate Professor Sarah Kelly - Service to Tertiary Education and Sports Administration. Among sports roles, board member of the Brisbane Lions and deputy chair since 2017.
Rosie King - Service to Sports Administration. Among many sporting roles, previous senior roles at the Geelong FC.
Michael Long - Service to Australian Rules Football and the Indigenous community. Since retiring as a player, founder and director of the Michael Long Foundation and the Michael Long Learning and Leadership centre.
Kevin Mitchell - Service to Australian Rules Football. Former VFL senior boundary umpire across 236 games, including eight grand finals, and then state director of VFL umpiring 1989-2013.
Lance Netherway - Service to the Wimmera Mallee community. Among many community roles, life member and former president of the Noradjuha-Quantong Football Club.
David Owen - Service to the Gouldburn community. Among many community roles, 30 years as an umpire and life member of the Goulburn Valley Football Umpires Association.
Erin Phillips - Service to Australian Rules Football and Basketball. Since joining the AFLW inaugural season in 2017 after an outstanding international basketball career, has been a dual AFLW competition best and fairest, dual premiership player, dual grand final best and fairest.
David Shaw - Service to community health and Australian Rules Football. Former Essendon FC president, AFL Commissioner and Melbourne University FC president.
Patrick Smith - For service to the print media as a journalist. Leading AFL journalist and former selector for the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Rox Snare - Service to the community of Wynyard. Among many community roles, has been a player, coach and administrator with Wynyard FC since 1953 and Life Member and Hall of Fame inductee for the North West Football League.
Lawrie Woodman - Service to sport coaching and development. AFL Coaching Development Manager 2001-17 and member of the AFL Research Board, 2005-17.