Footy greats urge Aussies blokes to Get2it and do their bowel screen

Geoff Toovey and Petero Civoniceva star in a new ad taking particular aim at two states over their inaction in one area. WATCH AD

State of Origin rivals Geoff Toovey and Petero Civoniceva are raising the stakes in this weeks clash, urging footy fans to lift their state’s shameful performance in returning bowel screening tests.

The pair star in a new Cancer Council ad urging people to “Get2it” and stop putting off the test that could save their life.

While the this year’s State of Origin ledger is currently even, in bowel screening terms Queensland is ahead in returning the tests — 41.6 per cent compared to in NSW 40.5 per cent.

Both states are returning the kits at levels below the national average of 43.5 per cent.

“Queensland is beating us at the moment, let’s get out there and make it a bit of a contest,” Toovey said.

“At half time get down there and get it done. You can do it easily during that time. It’s the perfect time to have a little bathroom break”.

Civoniceva joked it was one of the few matters where “we are prepared to flush the rivalry”.

“We’re very humble here in Queensland. We don’t want to make too much of these wins that we are having, but hopefully there’s motivation for our brothers and sisters south of the border to, to you know, take a toilet break and get to it,” he said.

Ex-NRL players, Geoff Toovey and Petero Civoniceva with NRL commentator Andrew Voss, on the set of a new advertisement to bring awareness to bowel cancer screening. Picture: Richard Dobson

All Australians aged 50-74 are eligible for the free test which comes in the mail but less than half of the tests are ever returned and bowel cancer remains the nation’s second biggest cancer killer, taking 103 lives per week.

Nine in 10 bowel cancer cases are treatable if picked up early by the bowel screen test.

Toovey is wearing his dressing gown in the new ad and keeps putting off his bowel screen test until Civoniceva chides him into taking it.

As Toovey heads off to perform the deed football commentator Andrew Voss appears in the former football player’s shower recess and calls the bowel cancer test like he would a football match.

Voss lost his grandmother to the cancer and said bowel cancer prevention and awareness was close to his and his family’s heart.

“Early diagnosis could save your life, so I’m honoured to be able to partner with Cancer Council and the Australian Government to help Aussies prioritise their health, Get2it and do a bowel screening test,” Voss said.

Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler said: “If we can get 60 per cent of eligible Australians screening and keep it that way, we can save 84,000 lives by 2040.”

One in four Australians use their mobile phones while on the toilet and Cancer Council CEO, Professor Tanya Buchanan, said “in the 424 hours, or 18 days, each Australian spends in the bathroom every two years, thousands of potentially life-saving samples could be taken”.

Civoniceva said he loved making the ad with Toovey who he looked up to as “a hero”.

“I’d like to think that Geoff and I possibly are fast tracking our way to the Summer Bay set with our acting abilities. Maybe not, maybe it could be just be Lowe’s ads,” he said.

Originally published as Footy greats urge Aussies blokes to Get2it and do their bowel screen