Latest news with #11thBigFreeze
Sky News AU
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Melbourne Demons captain Max Gawn opens up on how he looks after mental health as an AFL star
Having a career spent largely in the public eye is not for everyone, but AFL star Max Gawn has found the right balance for his mental health, especially when media attention gets too much. Gawn, 33, is in the twilight years of his glittering AFL career, currently in his 16th season with the Melbourne Demons after debuting as a teenager. The Demons captain is no stranger to the pressures that come with playing a professional sport and in a season where his side has underperformed, he has been forced to face up to the scrutiny again, alongside his teammates. Just a fortnight ago, stories about Gawn emerged in the media off the back of his side's one-point loss to the Collingwood Magpies in the annual King's Birthday clash, after he was seen having a fiery exchange with teammate Steven May. Gawn admitted the scenes were "poor", while his coach Simon Goodwin also conceded the pair "got it wrong". But teammates clash regularly, on the training paddock, before, after, and during games sometimes. Speaking on the incident and the press attention it received, Gawn said he tried to move on from it as quickly as he could and "get away" to take his mind off the chaos it invoked. "You get home and you go, geez, media is going to come for us. We've lost again by a point. Me and my very, very good friend and vice-captain of the football club have had a bit of a fight on the ground. They're going to come for us in that space. What's my tactic here? My tactic was to get away," he told at an event for Your Reformer, a pilates brand which he has recently proudly partnered with. "First I had to shut it down because I'm a captain of a football club so I can't just go and hide. So I got on the front foot and talked about the relationship me and 'Maysy' have, I also said it's not a great look which I agree with. "But then you go jump in a sauna - I've got kids which is very easy, they don't know that I'm in the media, they know that me and Maysy had a fight on the ground. So to go and play cards with (my son) George, to get yourself really present inside that. I'm passionate about it and mental health is a big space and I think it's because we're all becoming more aware of ourselves." It's been a difficult season so far for the Demons, as they face the prospect of a second consecutive season without finals football, just four years after winning the premiership in 2021. The proud club currently sits 14th on the ladder with five wins and nine losses to their name with nine fixtures remaining. While it doesn't make for pretty reading, there have still been positives throughout the year, including the emergence of young talent such as Harvey Langford, Caleb Windsor, Koltyn Tholstrup, and Xavier Lindsay and the electrifying form of Kysaiah Pickett, who has also just signed a long-term contract worth about $12 million. The Demons' King's Birthday clash was also another special occasion, as it was the 11th Big Freeze, a cause devoted to fighting motor neurone disease and led by Melbourne legend Neale Daniher who was diagnosed in 2013. Gawn said the occasion is always one he appreciates being a part of, especially for a man he understood as a legend well before he became the face of the ultimate fight. "When I first walked into Melbourne Football Club, two things were very evident - and Neale wasn't sick here - was the club loved Neale Daniher, he was like the reverend, he was the guy and (that) the club love the King's Birthday game," he said. "We were a struggling club that got given an annual blockbuster and we loved it. And then Neale got sick and then the MND game came and then this game. "Neale's an incredible person. I've got to know him extremely well. I've been involved in all 11 Big Freeze games. I missed one maybe in terms of playing, but I was certainly there. They're just getting bigger, better, raising more money. More people are coming. They're becoming great games. It's just a standalone fixture on King's Birthday, which I really love." Not one to pass up a challenge, the Melbourne captain has nothing but belief in himself and his teammates to put in a late charge to produce something incredible in 2025. While the Dees cannot afford to lose many more matches, Gawn says the message the team could contribute towards a miraculous story will play a part in their inspiration and motivation for the rest of the season. "There's multiple things that are going to happen. We may be out of finals contention soon. We're not there yet, so we're still aiming for finals. But when I look back at 21, I then look back in 2018, 19, and 20, and they're all like great years with great memories., and 19 and 20 we missed finals. So it's like. We might just be in one of those... '23, '24 and '25 might be building for '26, if you look back at it like that," he said. "So that'll be the message when we get further into the year, but right now 25, like if we do something pretty cool from here on in, it's gonna be one of the best stories ever written and that's the message you're gonna send and that is the message I want to be involved in. "To keep our season alive, we have to beat Gold Coast in Gold Coast and Adelaide in Adelaide over the next two weeks. It's pretty exciting. You're versing two of the top four teams at probably the biggest fortresses of football. Gold Coast is very hard and Adelaide in Adelaide is quite hostile. "If you win them and then all of a sudden you're back in finals contention... it's going to be a pretty cool story. "Everyone thought the Hawthorn story was cool last year... we have to do something I think even better than what Hawthorn did to be able to play finals from here on in so yeah I'm not, I'm certainly not a give up person, if they're going to tell me it's mathematically possible, it's mathematically possible."
The Advertiser
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Chills, they're multiplying as Big Freeze fights beast
Shazza and her idol Warnie continued the good fight against the beast as Max Gawn met his Mini Me and everyone's chills were multiplying. 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. Shazza and her idol Warnie continued the good fight against the beast as Max Gawn met his Mini Me and everyone's chills were multiplying. 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. Shazza and her idol Warnie continued the good fight against the beast as Max Gawn met his Mini Me and everyone's chills were multiplying. 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.
West Australian
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Chills, they're multiplying as Big Freeze fights beast
Shazza and her idol Warnie continued the good fight against the beast as Max Gawn met his Mini Me and everyone's chills were multiplying. 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.
Perth Now
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Chills, they're multiplying as Big Freeze fights beast
Shazza and her idol Warnie continued the good fight against the beast as Max Gawn met his Mini Me and everyone's chills were multiplying. 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.
West Australian
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Essendon great Tim Watson says Neale Daniher had to overcome his headstrong attitude in MND fight
Neale Daniher has had to conquer a headstrong attitude to fight his brave battle against motor neurone disease, says former teammate and close friend Tim Watson. AFL great Watson says the honesty with which his former Essendon teammate has spoken about his health plight — and his resolve not to let it dictate his life —is why the Big Freeze has been such a success. The annual fundraiser, centred around the King's Birthday clash between a side Daniher coached to a grand final, Melbourne, and one of its fierce rivals, Collingwood, has raised more than $115 million in just over a decade. Heading into the 11th Big Freeze on Monday, Watson revealed why Daniher, the 2025 Australian of the Year, had become such an icon. 'I think because of his authenticity. I think people saw that this was something that was real —this person wasn't doing anything for himself. He was doing something for a cause,' Watson told The Nightly. 'I think that resonated with people. In a world where there's so much manufacturing of image, I think people could see that this bloke was 100 per cent authentic and real. And he did it with humour as well — he was self-deprecating. 'The way that he framed it as 'slaying the beast', the way he spoke just appealed to people, and they all just wanted to jump on board the cause.' Watson said the Bombers' youngest-ever captain (1982) never shied away from the challenges and evolved as a person during his MND fight. 'He was very headstrong,' Watson said. 'He had a lot of setbacks in his own career. There's something about him. There's this different Neale that has appeared with this. He's been a remarkable human being. I think it's just astounding how he's conducted himself.' 'I think it's about the positivity, about the way that he's spun it,' Watson said. After being diagnosed in 2013 with the incurable disease, which degenerates motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord robbing the sufferer of the ability to move and talk, Daniher has been determined to find a cure. 'Even yesterday, in his address to Melbourne, it wasn't about 'woe is me' or dwelling on the negative, but saying, 'what's something positive I can do?' No matter how miserable it might look, how can I spin that around? 'He's definitely done that and demonstrated that to everybody — that no matter what the diagnosis might be and how poorly he felt at times … I think it did take him a while when he was first diagnosed to find some sort of way of dealing with it internally. And then the way that he's been able to do that publicly — I think he's just been like a beacon of optimism and inspiration for so many people.' Daniher's playing career was derailed by injuries that saw him miss out on playing in Essendon's flag-winning teams of 1984 and 1985. He did finally win a flag with the Bombers as an assistant coach in 1993. He features on tonight's episode of Unfiltered on Channel 7 , where he shares a rare insight into the lowest point of his career and the personal news that got him 'out of his funk.' The interview was conducted over several weeks, with Hamish McLachlan and Daniher exchanging text messages. Daniher responded using his eye-gaze machine, which makes his voice sound like it used to. Daniher played 66 games in three years for Essendon between 1979 and 1981, but injuries restricted him to just 16 more before he retired. Essendon were the reigning premiers, and Daniher had dreams of lifting the premiership cup that in 1985 when disaster struck in mid-week game. 'Footy gives you great highs and tragic lows, that's for sure. The lowest I felt as a player would have been in 1985,' Daniher said. 'I was making another comeback after two ACL knee injuries and the Bombers were the reigning premiers. I had just made my way back into the team. 'We had a mid-season competition involving interstate teams. I was asked to back up and play in Adelaide. In retrospect, that was a dumb idea. I wasn't ready to play three games in seven days. 'During the second quarter, I got caught in a pack, landed awkwardly, and did my knee again. This time it was my good knee. I was lying on a cold floor with ice on my knee in foreign rooms, on my own, as the sounds of the game continued without me. 'I knew my playing career was done at the elite level, and my crack at September — and maybe a flag — was over.' Daniher added that the impending birth of his first child helped him get out of the injury heartbreak. 'What broke me out of the funk was that I had married Jan earlier that year. Not much later, we received news that we would have our first child, Lauren. That definitely helped me realise that life was more than the number on my back.' Watson said being able to be hear his own voice would be terrific for his mate. 'I think it must be really great for him because of the frustration when you can't speak. For his words to be delivered in the way they can be — it must be a great thing for him. It might just alleviate some of that frustration,' he said. Watson was one of the first sliders to plunge into the icy waters, which has now become a rite of passage for sporting figures and celebrities during the Big Freeze. He said he didn't have any great words of advice for the 2025 sliders announced so far: Peter Daicos, Matt Shirvington, Ariarne Titmus, Mark Taylor, Matt Nable, and Liz Watson. 'Nothing really prepares people for how cold it feels when you first land,' he said. 'It awakens every sense, but it's over in the blink of an eye too. It's a really great experience.' Melbourne will be up against it in upsetting the red-hot Pies, but Watson said the Demons, coming off a loss to St Kilda, would 'rise to the occasion.' 'It's a big game. It doesn't really matter where they are on the ladder,' Watson said. 'There's a lot of tradition and rivalry associated with this game, and the fact that it means so much beyond the football field as well. It's celebrating something bigger than football. 'Melbourne will be trying to do the best they possibly can — not just for Neale, but for the game itself.' Unfiltered with Hamish McLachlan featuring football legend and FIGHTMND Founder, Neale Daniher 9.30pm straight after The Front Bar on Seven and 7plus. COVERAGE OF THE BIG FREEZE STARTS 2PM MONDAY AEDT ON 7 AND 7PLUS TO DONATE BY BUYING A DIGITAL BIG FREEZE BEANIE CLICK HERE
