Sliders brave an ice bath on a cold night for the Big Freeze in the Valley to raise funds and awareness

Chapman Valley was feeling extra chilly this weekend as a group of VIPs took to centre stage, raising money for a motor neurone disease charity. Saturday was the fourth annual Big Freeze in the Valley, which once again drew a large crowd to watch 11 brave sliders take on a plunge into an ice bath on an already chilly night. While the Royals would have wished for better results in the league game after suffering a crushing 109-point loss to Railways, they had former Hawthorn premiership player Chance Bateman lace up for them, playing out the game after needing his shoulder strapped up in the second quarter. The women’s side fared much better, getting a win as they welcomed AFLW premiership player and Geraldton export Renee Forth into the side over the weekend, kicking two goals off her boot. There was no arguing with any calls during the league game as former AFL umpire, who has more than 300 games under his belt, Dean Margetts, was taking charge of the game. After the league game wrapped up, a sea of heads wearing Big Freeze beanies gathered to watch the 11 people including Bateman, Forth, Margetts and more take on the slide in an array of humorous costumes. Wildcats legend Damian Martin did not make his way to the valley but there were the likes of Austin Powers, Kath and Kim and Richie Benaud going into the ice. Each year the VIP’s go down the slide for FightMND, helping raise funds and awareness against motor neurone disease. It was expected this year would see the event’s totally tally surpass $100,000.