Chills, they're multiplying as Big Freeze fights beast
The 10 sliders rose to the occasion at the 11th Big Freeze, the fundraiser at the MCG that honours FightMND icon and Australian Of The Year Neale Daniher.
As always, amid the fun of 10 celebrities in goofy dress-up sliding into a minus-six degrees ice bath for a good cause, there was pathos and heartache.
Daniher is now confined to a wheelchair and can only talk through eye recognition software as he continues his long fight against MND, which is incurable.
His daughter Bec now does much of the spruiking for their cause.
Big Freeze is held before the King's Birthday clash between Melbourne and Collingwood.
As Demons players warmed up, they all went to greet Daniher, the former Melbourne coach, as he completed a lap of the MCG. Collingwood players also helped form a guard of honour for him.
The theme this year was Australian icons and national cricket captain Alyssa Healy was Sharon "Shazza" Strezlecki, the netballer from Kath and Kim.
Magda Szubanski, who has revealed she is battling an aggressive cancer, made "Shazza" an all-time great Australian TV comedy character.
Healy did it justice, complete with neck brace and a suitably stunned expression as she walked out for her slide.
Former Australian captain Mark Taylor, the last slider, dressed as Shane Warne - Shazza's crush. The slide, fittingly, was set up in the shadow of the Shane Warne stand.
Actor Matt Nable came as Angus Young from AC-DC and remembered his brother Aaron, who died of MND last year.
Cadel Evans, the only Australian to win the Tour de France, was a miniature Max Gawn and the Melbourne captain greeted him after his slide.
Gawn, who stands at 2.08m, is also an avid cyclist and Evans, all 174cm of him, is one of his idols.
"Your worst day on the bike is better than my best day on a footy field," Evans told Gawn.
Swimming great Ariarne Titmus was Sandy from Grease, played by Olivia Newton-John, and as the song from the movie goes, chills were multiplying in the ice bath.
Former Melbourne star Aaron Davey honoured AFL and Indigenous great Michael Long, while TV presenter and former sprinter Matt Shirvington was Chris Hemsworth's movie character Thor.
A $10,000 bet was made that Shirvington would stay in his costume for the flight back to Sydney.
Peter Daicos, whose sons Nick and Josh were playing for the Magpies on Monday, always loves the limelight and he came as Heath Ledger's iconic Joker.
National netball captain Liz Watson was in all pink as Margot Robbie's Cowgirl Barbie and motor sport great Craig Lowndes was in all black as Mad Max.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Jahrome Hughes forced to miss Cameron Munster's father's funeral after horror shoulder injury
Melbourne star Jahrome Hughes was heartbreakingly forced to miss the funeral of his close friend and teammate Cameron Munster's father because he was not allowed to travel after picking up a shoulder injury on Thursday night. Hughes left the field just minutes into the second half of Melbourne's gutsy 34-30 win over the Roosters with the club confirming immediately that he'd dislocated his shoulder after landing awkwardly while making a tackle on James Tedesco. The reigning Dally M Medal winner was in agony and had to be helped off Allianz Stadium, with Melbourne's medical staff unable to put it back in, and he was sent to the hospital needing extreme pain medication. Hughes made it back to the team hotel in the early hours of Friday morning and luckily escaped needing surgery, but will miss around six weeks of action. But the hammer blow came in the early hours of Friday morning when Hughes was informed the injury meant he wasn't clear to fly to Queensland to be by Munster's side as he bid farewell to his father Steve. The Maroons star didn't play on Thursday night because it would have been too difficult to get back to Queensland for the funeral on Friday. However, some players and staff caught a flight up to Rockhampton at 6am on Friday so they could attend the funeral. Hughes originally planned to be on that flight, however, Melbourne chief Frank Ponissi said the Kiwi wasn't cleared to fly due to his shoulder. 'He said Jahrome got back to the hotel last night. They finally put the shoulder back in place in the hospital without too many issues,' journalist Andrew Webster told SEN, reading out Ponissi's text message to him. 'At this stage, it is very difficult to assess, although the initial scans show nothing too sinister. He was coming up to Munster's father's funeral this morning with a few of us, but instead will now head straight back to Melbourne with the team, where they will assess him.' Steve Munster died on the eve of State of Origin 3, and Cameron bravely played just days later, lifting the Maroons to a memorable series win.
7NEWS
an hour ago
- 7NEWS
Suns coach Damien Hardwick singles out unheralded star Jarrod Witts for big praise after win over Lions
Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick has singled out Jarrod Witts for special praise after the Suns cemented their spot in the top eight with a historic 66-point win over Brisbane. The Suns had lost 12 of the past 13 Queensland derbies, but flipped the script in a dominant 20.10 (130) to 9.10 (64) romp at a wet People First Stadium. Captain Noah Anderson (33 touches) did the early damage, while Matt Rowell (37 touches, 14 clearances, 12 tackles) won the Marcus Ashcroft Medal for best on ground. Hardwick's selection calls were also vindicated with the recalled Alex Davies (30 touches, 10 tackles) and Jy Farrar (three goals) making strong contributions in their first senior games of the season. Ben Long rediscovered his early-season form with four majors and Bailey Humphrey (three goals, eight tackles) also shone, but Hardwick was quick to point to ruckman Witts after the match. 'Can I make a statement about Jarrod Witts ... I watched TV the other day that had a list of ruckmen that are in the mix, go and have a look at what our guy has done to those guys,' he said. 'Start having the conversation about how good this guy has become. 'He's been unbelievable, so just have a deeper dive into it to see what he's actually become.' Melbourne captain Max Gawn, Sydney star Brodie Grundy, North Melbourne big man Tristan Xerri and Collingwood gun Darcy Cameron are widely talked about as the likely candidates in the mix for All-Australian. But Hardwick said he wouldn't take any of them ahead of Witts. 'I'd love to have him as All-Australian, I wouldn't pick another ruckman over this guy.' Victory, in front of 20,833 fans, was the Suns' biggest in a QClash, while their 12th win this season is a club-high. The win also gave the Suns a 2-1 record against the competition's top three sides in their past three games. Gold Coast now with just one top-eight opponent in their final five regular-season games. Meanwhile, the premiers next travel to the MCG to face table-topping Collingwood as part of a tough run to September. Brisbane started well with goals to Callum Ah Chee and Neale, before the Suns, fresh off an Adelaide battering a week earlier, responded. Witts set the tone at the bounce, while Davies threw his 193cm frame around and fit-again Sam Collins imposed himself in defence. The contest was drifting in the second quarter until skipper Anderson again took it by the scruff with a goal and assist inside a minute. His first drifted over the pack and was toed on the line by Farrar, before he produced a repeat of his Collingwood match-winner a fortnight earlier, streaking from the centre square and nailing a major from 50 metres after a neat one-two. The Suns' fine kicking continued when Long threaded the needle, creating a 33-point half-time buffer as heavy rain started to fall. It didn't slow Farrar, who benefited from another clever Witts tap to squeeze through his third goal. Rowell was running freely in a dominant third term, with Ben Ainsworth and Long's goals swelling the lead beyond 50 points to effectively kill the contest. Neale still amassed 36 touches, while Cam Rayner kicked three late goals to go with 19 disposals for Brisbane. Lions utility Conor McKenna (hamstring) was substituted at half-time.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Video: Max Jorgensen, Will Skelton and Nic White inside the Wallabies camp
This is the side of the Wallabies you've never seen. Funny, quick-witted and happily sharing laughs - quite often at each others' expense — less than 48 hours before probably the biggest Test clash of their entire careers. Three players — Max Jorgensen, Will Skelton and Nic White — sat down for some fun with Code Sports on Thursday, just moments after the second Test squad was named for the must-win clash at the MCG tonight against the British & Irish Lions. Winger Jorgensen — punctual and polite — with his kit ready to change into arrived first, followed by Skelton, who was wearing only socks on his feet, while half White bounced in like a Labrador with his moustache ready for its close up. During an afternoon generally reserved for sponsor commitments, the trio gave a glimpse into their off-field chemistry talking about their jetsetting lifestyle as Wallabies as part of the title partnership for the Qatar Airways British & Irish Lions tour to Australia 2025. Skelton's deadpan response to the first thing he does when boarding a plane, 'Turn left', had his mates in stitches. He then happily named prop Taniela Tupou as the biggest snorer on the plane. Jorgensen, 20, was mocked by White for still letting his mum pack his bags and for his luxury shopping habits during stopovers with mate Joseph Suaalii. They also let slip there's an unwritten law that the more junior players give up their exit-row seats for teammates with the most Test caps, while there may or may not be a player who claps when their plane lands at a destination. The Wallabies will be hoping there's 90,000 fans applauding their victory at the MCG on Saturday night.
