Richmond’s major partner Latitude welcomed the Catania family onto the MCG before Saturday’s clash with Brisbane for a very special moment in honour of Jon Catania, who sadly lost his battle with MND in February this year.

Jon Catania was a passionate Richmond supporter and member, who along with his family, cheered on in attendance at the Club's 2017 and 2019 premiership wins.

Sadly, in February of this year, Jon passed away after a five-year battle with Motor Neurone Disease (MND). He was first diagnosed in December 2019, at just 21 years old.

Jon’s older sister, Millie Catania, said his love for Richmond never wavered.

“Jonnie lived and breathed the Tiges,” Millie said.  

“As a little boy, he loved going down to open training, Tigers footy clinics and had this amazing ability to recall all the players' stats.

“Mum and dad brought us up as loyal supporters. As a family, our weekends were spent cheering on the Tiges at the 'G.

"As kids, we would have never imagined our dream of winning a Grand Final would come true. It was so special.

“Shortly after his 21st birthday, Jon's world turned upside down when he was diagnosed with MND."

Jon had the most aggressive form of MND - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

"Despite losing his ability to move, speak and breathe (unassisted), his will to survive was nothing short of extraordinary," Millie said.

“His mind was as sharp as ever, as he constantly researched potential therapies and approaches.”

Although there's no treatment or cure, Millie said that Jon always remained optimistic and kept a positive outlook on life.

Millie reflected on coming together as a family to help Jon in his battle.

"As a family, we did everything we could to ensure Jon lived a comfortable, dignified and meaningful life. Our Mum was Jon's primary caregiver, as Jon became completely dependent on her for all aspects of his personal care," she said.

On Saturday afternoon, the Tiger Army welcomed the Catania family onto the MCG, where Millie tossed the coin before the match in honour of her late brother.

"It's hard to put into words how much it means," Millie said.

"We couldn't be more grateful. It's a very moving privilege to have the opportunity to do this and to honour everything Jon loved about the Tiges.

"I know he will be smiling down on me."

Despite his diagnosis, Jon continued to passionately support the Tigers.

Although he couldn’t physically attend, he would tune in to all the games and never missed an episode of ‘Talking Tigers’.

Jon and his family’s dedication and passion are why Latitude chose to present the Catania family with the opportunity to toss the coin on Saturday afternoon.

In 2021, Millie and Jon’s friends established ‘Fight4Jon’ – a cause to foster community awareness and funds for MND research and Jon’s care.

"Over four Fight4Jon campaigns, we raised over half a million dollars," Millie said.

"I'm so proud of what we’ve been able to achieve.

"We’re in awe of our community’s outpouring of generosity, love and support.

"We've really tried to use the platform to shed light on MND and Jon's heartbreaking journey."

To support or donate to the Fight 4 Jon initiative click here.