AAP
Today marks the eighth Big Freeze day at the MCG, with Collingwood and Melbourne to battle it out at this year’s Queen’s Birthday public holiday game.
The annual event, which raises money for Motor Neurone Disease research on the Queen's Birthday weekend, hasn't happened in front of an MCG crowd since 2019 amid Covid lockdowns and restrictions.
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The Victorian government on Monday donated $250,000 to help the FightMND foundation find a cure.
"It's hard to think of a more inspiring person than Neale Daniher," Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said in a statement.
"The work he has done for others when faced with a devastating diagnosis is truly remarkable.
"We're proud to support Neale's fight. Every day it brings us closer to finding a cure to this terrible disease," Andrews said.
For Daniher and his family, this year's Big Freeze is set to be a special occasion.
"It is really incredible to have it back at the MCG," daughter Bec Daniher said.
"The last few years have been difficult but we know that everyone's rallied behind us.
"To be standing on the stage with Dad is going to be a moment that I will cherish for a very long time," she said.
"To have him a part of the march, to have him there, pushing down the sliders, pushing down his oldest brother, I know he's very excited.
"There's going to be a moment in time where as a family, we're going to stop and take it all in because we never know how many more we have," Bec said.
"So it's going to be very, very special and we can't wait to share it with everyone on the day."
Collingwood’s Nathan Murphy said the Big Freeze is "just getting bigger and bigger and more special. We’re hearing more stories from people".
“It’s like Anzac Day - it’s a game of football, but we’re marking something a lot bigger, because football is just a game and this is a battle of life".- Nathan Murphy
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13 June 2022
Article by:
Triple M Newsroom