Over one thousand people from acrossAustralia gathered to farewell Essendon premiership player Merv Neagle at aservice in Walla Walla on Monday.

Family and friends gathered at the WallaWalla football ground to honour the 54-year-old following his tragic death in aroad accident on August 23.

Most of Neagle’s 1984 premiership teammateswere in attendance including Tim Watson, Terry Daniher, Paul Van Der Haar andMark Harvey.

Daniher and Van Der Haar joined formerSydney captain Dennis Carroll and his brother Syd in delivering emotionalspeeches about Merv’s life.

Essendon’s 1984 premiership cup andflag, which Neagle played an integral role in the Bombers win, satalongside the coffin.

In an emotional moment in theservice Neagle’s six children sat in the back of Van Der Haar’s ute alongsidetheir father’s coffin doing a lap of the football oval.

Essendon CEO Ian Robson said it was afitting farewell for a champion of the Essendon Football Club.

“It was a farewell reflective ofhis journey, contribution and commitment to our club, the Sydney Football Club andmyriad of country football clubs throughout Australia that he has played for and coached,” Robson said.

“The beer has began to flow, the bon firehas started and everyone that has gathered will now share stories and gatheraround Donna and the children in this tough time.”

Neagle’s former coach Kevin Sheedy joinedformer Essendon officials and board members at the service.

Former teammate and close friend Tim Watsonpaid tribute to Neagle last week describing him as a ‘loveable larrikin’.

“He was full of life and he was reallypositive and always had a smile on his face,” Watson said.

“He was a larrikin. He was a loveable,likable larrikin.”

“He loved life and he loved theparticipation and he loved his mateship.”

Neagle played 147 games for Essendon and 56for Sydney, was runner up in the 1980 Brownlow Medal and Essendon’s best andfairest in the same year.

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