IN its ninth year of supporting the annual Big Freeze game, Zurich has raised $22,730, taking their total donation tally to over $192,000 since partnering with the Melbourne Football Club in 2018.

Every dollar raised will go directly towards critical research and the fight to find a cure for ‘the Beast’ that is Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

The contribution came as Melbourne celebrated an eight-point win over Collingwood in front of a record King's Birthday crowd of 88,019.

08:17

RD 13 | Match Highlights

The Magpies and Demons clash in Round 13 of the 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership Season

In honour of Melbourne Football Club hero Neale Daniher AO, Big Freeze 12 was the biggest one to date, with not just the football community, but the whole of Australia coming together to celebrate the life of the courageous Australian legend.

Zurich’s contribution comes from the sale of $5 raffle tickets that put Demons fans in the running for a custom Demons Revel Aura 2 Person Full Spectrum Infared Sauna – Next Gen.

Daniher’s iconic call to action sat at the heart of this year’s campaign: Play on, for Neale.

Former Melbourne Football Club captain, and current Assistant Coach Nathan Jones braved the ice and represented the club as a Big Freeze slider dressed as Australian music producer ‘Fisher’.

Jones took to the slide and did a famous Australian ‘shoey’ before plunging into the ice.

01:51

RD 13 | MCG stands still as Neale Daniher honoured in special tribute

Players, coaches, umpires and fans join in paying respect to the great Neale Daniher

Melbourne once again hosted the annual Zurich Walk to the ‘G in 2026, bringing together thousands of supporters ahead of the King’s Birthday clash.

Starting at Federation Square, fans enjoyed a pre-match Q&A featuring past and current Melbourne players, MFC President Steven Smith, FightMND representatives and members of the Daniher family, who reflected on Neale Daniher’s legacy and the importance of continuing the fight against MND.

Supporters also took part in a range of activations delivered by Melbourne Football Club partners before making their way to the MCG at 12:15pm in a united show of support for FightMND.

The annual walk remains a special King's Birthday tradition, bringing the football community together for a cause bigger than the game itself.

Since 2014, FightMND has raised over $141 million into research on the disease, while also supporting the 2,700 Australians who are also currently living with MND.