
Channel 7 icon leads charge at WA Freeze for MND
Optus Stadium was filled with light blue beanies on Sunday as WA footy fans showed support for the fight against MND, and the headwear even came in handy as the drizzle settled in.
Daniher worked at the Eagles when his devastating motor neurone disease diagnosis was revealed, and the club has again rallied behind his family, raising funds to fight the beast.
Actor and comedian Peter Rowsthorn was the first to enter the icy water, in nothing but his board shorts, a week after The Big Freeze at the MCG during the King's Birthday clash between Melbourne and Collingwood.
7NEWS anchor Ardon was joined by Mix 94.5's Kymba Cahill during the long break and rocked a Batman suit.
The icy water held no fears as a handball from Eagles favourite Nic Naitanui plunged the veteran newsman into the dunk tank, Ardon explaining it was little more than a cold morning surf. Peter Rowsthorn takes part in WA Freeze at quarter time. Credit: Ian Munro / The West Australian
'I looked forward to it, and we've kicked some ice,' Ardon exclaimed.
'I surf all winter, so it wasn't bad at all. We all know through Telethon, for example, how much of a difference research makes to people's lives.
'Hopefully, with a lot more money raised, we can kick this cool disease.'
He also revealed his wife and favourite television show were the inspiration behind his costume.
'That was my wife; she thought Batman would be good,' he said.
'I'm not Superman by any stretch of the imagination, so I couldn't do that, but I love Seinfeld, so the clue I gave out on radio this week is good cape weather, which is what they say on Seinfeld.' Rick Ardon takes part in WA Freeze at half time. Credit: Ian Munro / The West Australian
Cahill went down as Simpson's character, Marge Simpson, stunned by the ice as West Coast legend Ben Cousins sent her plunging.
Before the match, the Eagles ran through a banner inscribed with 'You're inspiring Danners, facing hardship with ease. Dig deep and donate to the WA freeze'.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


West Australian
27 minutes ago
- West Australian
West Coast injury news: Harry Edwards season over as Sydney prepare to welcome back Brodie Grundy
West Coast's task to avoid the worst season in VFL/AFL history looks set to become even harder with Sydney preparing to welcome back a huge star. As the Eagles welcome the Swans for the final round of another forgettable season, the visitors are set to be bolstered by the return of star ruck Brodie Grundy, who missed last round with a concussion. It is the only game Grundy has missed as part of a career-best season, averaging 19.8 disposals, six clearances and 36 hit-outs per game to have him firmly in the All-Australian frame. The Swans already have an imposing record over the Eagles, winning their last four games by an average of 88 points and Eagles ruck duo Bailey Williams and Matt Flynn will be hard pressed to turn that form around. It comes as the Eagles confirmed Harry Edwards' season was over, unable to recover from foot soreness, which has kept him sidelined over the past fortnight and kept him from training on Tuesday morning. 'Harry has been unable to train over the past two weeks due to his foot injury,' High Performance Manager Mat Inness said. 'Given Harry is unavailable for the remainder of the season, the decision was made to operate on a minor shoulder issue he's been managing over the past few months. 'This will allow him to have an uninterrupted off-season and prepare fully for pre-season next year.' In better news, draftee Tom Gross could be in line for a return, having been listed as a test while midfielder Jack Hutchinson could also make his comeback from a hamstring injury. 'Tom was sidelined for last week's game, but he's recovering well and will be a test later in the week,' Inness said. 'Jack had a good week on the training track last week, however a decision will be made on his availability later in the week.'


Perth Now
27 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Swans set to welcome back giant to add to Eagles pain
West Coast's task to avoid the worst season in VFL/AFL history looks set to become even harder with Sydney preparing to welcome back a huge star. As the Eagles welcome the Swans for the final round of another forgettable season, the visitors are set to be bolstered by the return of star ruck Brodie Grundy, who missed last round with a concussion. It is the only game Grundy has missed as part of a career-best season, averaging 19.8 disposals, six clearances and 36 hit-outs per game to have him firmly in the All-Australian frame. The Swans already have an imposing record over the Eagles, winning their last four games by an average of 88 points and Eagles ruck duo Bailey Williams and Matt Flynn will be hard pressed to turn that form around. Brodie Grundy has put together a stellar year. Credit: Matt King/AFL Photos / for Getty Images It comes as the Eagles confirmed Harry Edwards' season was over, unable to recover from foot soreness, which has kept him sidelined over the past fortnight and kept him from training on Tuesday morning. 'Harry has been unable to train over the past two weeks due to his foot injury,' High Performance Manager Mat Inness said. 'Given Harry is unavailable for the remainder of the season, the decision was made to operate on a minor shoulder issue he's been managing over the past few months. 'This will allow him to have an uninterrupted off-season and prepare fully for pre-season next year.' In better news, draftee Tom Gross could be in line for a return, having been listed as a test while midfielder Jack Hutchinson could also make his comeback from a hamstring injury. 'Tom was sidelined for last week's game, but he's recovering well and will be a test later in the week,' Inness said. 'Jack had a good week on the training track last week, however a decision will be made on his availability later in the week.'


West Australian
5 hours ago
- West Australian
AFLW: West Coast Rising Star Lucia Painter to form a lethal one-two punch with Ella Roberts
West Coast rising star Lucia Painter has described AFLW Rising Star nomination from a three-goal AFLW debut as 'crazy'. 'I just went out there to have a bit of fun in my round one debut. I didn't have any expectations,' she said. 'I was obviously nervous because I cared, but I was just so excited and I just trusted in the support that I had from the girls and the coaches and all the hard work that we've done.' Painter's goals all came in the third term when the Eagles were able to put some distance between Gold Coast on the scoreboard on their way to a 15-point opening round win at Mineral Resources Park. 'The momentum just shifted and yeah, obviously I was just on the end of it in the inside 50, but it was a credit to the hard work that we'd done and all the field to get into the forward line,' said Painter, who was recruited with pick No. 7 in last year's AFLW draft. 'We've been working a lot on our pro kicks and using one more so it was really good to see all the craft that we've been working on through our trainings implemented into game day. 'Watching that from the forward line was amazing. Seeing it getting put into good spots and the connection between the mids and the forwards was good. 'I was just lucky enough to be on the end of it.' The 19-year-old, who finished the game with 13 dispsoals, described herself as a 'role player'. 'I'm happy to play wherever,' she said. 'So wherever I'm put I'll play my role to the best of my ability, whether that's being forward or back. Obviously it was a bit of fun up forward and I'll give it a red hot crack whenever I get put up there.' West Coast coach Daisy Pearce said said it was an impressive debut 'but it didn't surprise us'. 'Lou has been incredible since the day she turned up late February, and just the amount of work that she's put in is a credit to who she is and the kind of athlete she is,' Pearce said. 'The way that she's adapted to life as a full-time athlete has been impressive, particularly given she's had to move out of the family home across the other side of the country. 'It's been pretty incredible to watch her adapt . She's so driven, you've got to hold her back more than push her, which is a good problem to have. 'Often in first-year players, you've got to manage them through their first pre-season to make sure that they're good to go at the right time of the year. 'But her thirst for work and her capacity to do work has just been amazing. It's blown our high-performance people away, not just what she can do out there, but everything that underpins it. 'She set her lifestyle up like an athlete, and that's allowed her to go out and do what she did. So it didn't come as a surprise when you have got someone as strong and as athletic as her and the footy ability, plus her competitiveness and want for the team to win.' Ella Roberts had 11 disposals and two goals in the first quarter to set up the Eagles' early lead, finishing with 24 and six score involvements. Pearce said the Painter-Roberts combination was a potent one-two she looks forward to developing. 'We can put her (Painter) anywhere and it'll stand up so that versatility to be able to use her in that mid-forward role to complement what Ella does is a real weapon,' the coach said. 'We'll keep building on it, and their understanding of how to work together in those positions is pretty exciting.' Painter said kicking three goals in a quarter was 'surreal'. 'I couldn't believe that I was able to kick three goals on debut, but it was pretty much, alright, that's three quarters done, let's play the fourth quarter, because it's just as important,' she said. 'We still had a quarter to go, and the momentum could shift to Gold Coast. And like they did have a lot of good plays in the fourth quarter, but we were able to nullify that.'