It’s a real honour for me to be here.
This has been a great game today, and even though I am a Rugby Union man at heart, it is fantastic to be watching the extraordinary athleticism of this AFL game.
Apart from watching the game, what has been truly magnificent is to see the city of Melbourne and the great sport of AFL rallying behind this magnificent cause of raising money for MND research.
This shows the power of sport to bring people together.
It also shows the power of an individual – Neale Daniher.
Neale – your inspiration, your courage, your commitment to bring people together to do something important is a cause which really matters – it really matters.
Mate, when you were diagnosed, you could have brooded, you could have cursed, you could have said "how unfair all of this is" because it is bloody unfair.
It is absolutely unfair that someone in the prime of life should be afflicted with a terrible condition like MND.
The great thing about the human spirit is when faced with something terrible, we turn it into something useful and that is what you have done, mate.
You have turned a dreadful affliction into an opportunity to do good for hundreds of other people. All of your fellow MND sufferers in Australia feel encouraged and inspired by what you have done.
If this money can aid the treatment and cure maybe down the track for this, then, well, you would have helped millions of people.
So, Neale, I am incredibly honoured to be here with you and to have made the walk with you to the 'G earlier.
Frankly, the privilege of being Prime Minister is to meet and to mingle with people who are an absolute inspiration and I simply want to salute you, Neale. And I also want to salute everyone here today for the work you are doing to support him.
Thank you so much.
[ends]