Splashdown at Wonthaggi

Fight MND the winner as rivals join forces

THERE’S no bigger rivalry in local sport than the contest between neighbouring South Gippsland football-netball clubs Wonthaggi Power and the Leongatha Parrots.

But those on-field battles were channelled into a different sort of competition on Sunday when former champions from both clubs faced-off in the inaugural “Ice Bucket Relay” to raise money for Fight MND.

“It’s a cause that’s close to club’s heart,” said Wonthaggi Power coach Tristan Francis after the game.

But it’s a disease that almost every organisation and family has been touched by according to a representative of the late Neale Daniher’s Fight MND fundraising foundation, Zoe Lomax, who was the guest speaker before the hostilities commenced.

“At Fight MND we call MND the beast, and that was a name given to it by our late co-founder Neale Daniher because of just how cruel and relentless this disease is,” said Zoe.

“I know that members of this community will likely know first-hand what motor neurone disease is like, but for those people who haven’t had experience with MND, I just wanted to explain a little bit about what it is.

“So, MND attacks the motor neurones in our body, but what it means is that people gradually lose their ability to walk, to use their hands, to use their arms, to speak, to swallow, and ultimately to breathe.

“At the moment, the average life expectancy when someone’s diagnosed with MND is only 27 months, so that’s less than three years.”

Zoe also had a positive message for the huge crowd that had assembled to watch the event, and also the big match to follow, saying that days such as this brought hope to MND sufferers while also injecting some fun into fundraising.

“So, I just want to thank you all for getting behind the cause and supporting the Big Freeze and MND, and ultimately for inspiring hope across the community that people are rallying together behind those living with this disease right now and are all together in hunt for treatments and a cure.”

It was then on with the show as the teams of eight former players were introduced to the crowd and roasted by MCs Steve Griffiths and Power president Darren Brown.

Some dressed in colourful costumes, others in the club colours, the volunteers included, for Wonthaggi, Stuart Gilmour, Ross Lovett, Dean Demenech, Tommy Wells, Ange Gennaccaro, Aaron Ware, Jye Hart, Rod Tack and for Leongatha Darren Read, Haydn Brown, Paul Lepage, Chris Rump, Frank Decker, Scott Brain, Al Fixter and Brad Anderson.

Between the Wonthaggi Power Juniors and Senior Football Netball Clubs, a total of $16,444 was raised, not bad for a first effort according to Darren Brown.

“This was our first Fight MND Day, so we kept it simple first up, but hopefully we can grow it from here. It’s such a worthy cause and the community is right behind it,” he said.