Thousands of fans partake in a walk to the MCG for the Big Freeze slide in honour of Neale Daniher before Collingwood takes on Melbourne.
Collingwood great Dale Thomas is among 10 sliders who will take the plunge from 2pm AEST.Â
Follow the live blog below, keep up to date with all the latest stats in our ScoreCentre, and tune in to our live radio coverage.
Mon 8 Jun 2026 at 2:25pm
Sam Mac comes out dressed as Bluey
Sunrise TV personality Sam Mac is the next down the slide, and he comes out dressed as Bluey the dog.
“I’ve got two daughters, any new parent knows Bluey is a staple,” he says.
“So proud to be a part of it.”
Mon 8 Jun 2026 at 2:19pm
Sam Mostyn slides down dressed in a Bombers jumper
Australia’s Governer General Sam Mostyn is next up.
Mostyn is dressed as Neale Daniher in an Essendon jumper and a Demons cap as she takes the plunge.
Mon 8 Jun 2026 at 2:14pm
Demons great Nathan Jones is next up
Nathan Jones comes out dressed as the famous DJ FISHER.
He does a shoey before he takes his place on the slide, how beautifully Australian.
Jones’s bucket hat comes off as he flies down the slide.
Melbourne players, who are on the ground going through their warm-up, stop and take a look full of laughter on the big screen.
Mon 8 Jun 2026 at 2:10pm
Andy Lee kicks off the Big Freeze
We’re ready to go for Big Freeze 12 as Andy Lee takes the slide first up!
Lee makes his way out, barely, dressed as Wizz, a character from his own children’s book. He can barely fit on the slide, such is the size of this costume.
“I started out pumped, and now I’m terrified,” Lee tells Tim Watson.
Lee slides down and faceplants into the water.
Mon 8 Jun 2026 at 2:01pm
We’re almost ready for the Big Freeze!
We’ll be ready to go in a matter of minutes here as coverage of the Big Freeze gets underway.
Who are you most looking forward to seeing?
Mon 8 Jun 2026 at 1:44pm
Have a look at all the fans streaming into the MCG!
Mon 8 Jun 2026 at 1:40pm
What is the most iconic Big Freeze moment?
The Big Freeze has been preceding the Collingwood-Melbourne clash since 2015, and there have been plenty of big moments.
Which one is your favourite moment?
The ones that come to mind immediately for me are Nick Riewoldt dressed as Freddie Mercury and Chris Fagan ripping his hammy post-slide.
Mon 8 Jun 2026 at 1:35pm
Who are this year’s Big Freeze sliders?
We’ve got another 10 sliders taking the plunge this year, headlined by 2010 Collingwood premiership winner Dale Thomas.
Here’s a look at the full list of sliders who will go down this year.
Mon 8 Jun 2026 at 1:32pm
What time is the Big Freeze?
The Big Freeze will take place from 2pm AEST this afternoon at the MCG.
Mon 8 Jun 2026 at 1:30pm
Welcome!
Good afternoon and welcome to ABC Sport’s live AFL coverage!
We’re here today for the annual King’s Birthday clash between Collingwood and Melbourne at the MCG, a match that has become one of the showpiece fixtures of the home and away season.
The match is preceded by the Big Freeze for MND which will be extra emotional this year as it is the first without the great Neale Daniher in presence.
We’ll have all the updates from the Big Freeze as well as the pre-match news before live action gets underway, so strap yourselves in and enjoy the show!
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