| Jim Stynes OAM | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Stynes in 2008 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | James Peter Stynes | ||
| Born | (1966-04-23)23 April 1966 Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Died | 20 March 2012(2012-03-20) (aged 45) St Kilda, Victoria, Australia | ||
| Original team | Ballyboden St Enda's (club)/Dublin (underage, county team) | ||
| Height | 199 cm (6 ft 6 in) | ||
| Weight | 99 kg (218 lb) | ||
| Position | Ruckman | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1987–1998 | Melbourne | 264 (130) | |
| Representative team honours | |||
| Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
| 1990–1994 | Victoria | 10 (?) | |
| International team honours | |||
| 1987–88, 1998 | Australia | 5 (42pts) | |
| 1990 | Ireland | 3 (11pts) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1998. 2 Representative statistics correct as of 1998. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources:AFL Tables,AustralianFootball.com | |||
James Peter Stynes[1]OAM (23 April 1966 – 20 March 2012) was anIrish footballer who converted fromGaelic football toAustralian rules football and the first international player to be inducted into theAustralian Football Hall of Fame in 2003. Playing for theMelbourne Football Club in theAustralian Football League (AFL), he was one of the game's most prominent figures, setting the record for most consecutive games of VFL/AFL football with 244 (until it was beaten byJack Crisp in 2025) and winning the sport's highest individual honour, theBrownlow Medal, in1991. Off the field, he was a notable AFL administrator,philanthropist, charity worker and writer.
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During his 264-game career playing for theMelbourne Football Club in theAustralian Football League (AFL) between1987 and1998, Stynes became the first and onlynon-Australian-born VFL/AFL player to win the Brownlow Medal, which he achieved in 1991.
Stynes was quite famous in both Australia and Ireland as a result of his involvement in the Melbourne Football Club's international recruitment program (now known as the "Irish experiment"). Born inDublin, Ireland, where he was a promisingGaelic footballer at theBallyboden St Enda's club, Stynes made a move to Australia at the age of 18 followinghis county team's victory in the1984 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship.
Debuting in the Australian Football League in 1987, he played 244 consecutive games between 1987 and 1998 as a mobileruckman, a league record that was held for 27 years. Along with his Brownlow Medal, his Australian rules achievements included theLeigh Matthews Trophy, two-timeAll-Australian team selection, aGrand Final appearance in1988, and a four-time winner of theKeith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal for being judged Melbourne's best player throughout the course of a season. He also representedVictoria ininterstate football matches, and he played for bothAustralia andIreland ininternational rules football, ahybrid of Gaelic football and Australian rules football.
Following his football career, Stynes focused onyouth work, using his profile to launchThe Reach Foundation, which he co-founded in 1994. As a result of his work with young people inVictoria, he was namedVictorian of the Year twice, in 2001 and 2003, and with the expanded profile of Reach nationally, awarded theMedal of the Order of Australia in 2007.
Stynes also served as president of the Melbourne Football Club from 2008 and was involved in fundraising efforts which brought the club out of debt. In 2009, Stynes was diagnosed with metastaticmelanoma and continued to work during his treatment forbrain metastasis. He died in March 2012 and was honoured by astate funeral held atSt Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne on 27 March 2012.[2]
Stynes was born in Dublin, Ireland, to aRoman Catholic family,[3] the eldest son of Brian and Teresa Stynes, one of six siblings.[4] He grew up inRathfarnham.[5][6]
He attendedBallyroan Boys National School.[7] He began playingGaelic football at the age of eight. From age nine, he played atBallyboden St Enda's at under-11s level. He attended high school atDe La Salle College, Churchtown, where he playedrugby union[8] while continuing to play Gaelic football for his club alongside his younger brother,Brian.
His first exposure to Australian rules football was watching the 1980 filmThe Club on television. Stynes represented Dublin in 1984, at the age of eighteen, and was on Dublin's winning side in theAll-Ireland Minor Football Championship.[9]
Stynes aspired to a college education; however, he lacked the means and was earning just $10 a week delivering newspapers.[10]
Later in his life, he graduated with aBachelor of Social Science degree and a Diploma in Youth Work fromRMIT University; additionally, he earned aBachelor of Education degree fromDeakin University.[citation needed] He was later awarded with the honorary degree ofDoctor of the University from theAustralian Catholic University.[11]
In 1984, Stynes responded to an advertisement in his local paper placed by theMelbourne Football Club that offered two scholarships with all expenses paid to play Australian rules football and attenduniversity inVictoria, Australia. Applicants were required to be under 18, over 183 cm and at county standard.[10]
Tall and slim, Stynes was selected, along with James Fahey, and brought to Victoria to undergo a crash course in Australian rules. He signed a two-year contract, hoping to use the money to fund his way through college. Stynes was promised accommodation with an additional $60 weeklystipend, clothing, and $50 a game. He arrived in Australia on 7 November 1984.[12]
Stynes debuted for the Melbourne under-19s team in 1985 and finished the season runner-up in the best and fairest.[4]Ray Jordon, a coach who was experienced with talented juniors, worked intensively with Stynes, and he was sent toVictorian Football Association'sPrahran Football Club to compete at senior level.[13]
Stynes made his senior debut for the Melbourne Demons in1987 againstGeelong atKardinia Park.[12] Two weeks later, he played in theNight Series Final against theEssendon Bombers. The Demons' thrilling 4-point victory over the Bombers gave the club its first silverware in 23 years.
Later in 1987, Stynes was part of the senior side which won their last six matches of the home-and-away season to finish in 5th place and qualify for Melbourne's first finals series since 1964. The Demons were cast as aCinderella team, winning their first two finals by huge margins in front of huge, frenzied crowds. They were just seconds away from an unlikely Grand Final appearance, leadingHawthorn in the Preliminary Final by 4 points when a free kick was awarded toGary Buckenara fifty metres from goal. Stynes ran through the mark as the final siren sounded; it was an error which resulted in a15-metre penalty and brought the Hawk forward within range. Buckenara scored the goal, giving his team a two-point win and ending Melbourne's fairytale charge to the premiership (n.b. the 15-metre penalty rule was increased to 50 metres in 1988).[14]
Stynes managed to put this costly mistake behind him. He cemented his position in Melbourne's senior team in 1988 and drew praise for his consistent play and for his innate skills and ability. He played in all 26 games, including theGrand Final versusHawthorn. Despite his team losing to the Hawks by 96 points, Stynes performed admirably and he was judged to be Melbourne's best player that day.[15]
In 1991, Stynes enjoyed the finest individual season of his career. With his fitness level at an all-time high and four years of experience under his belt, he took his game to another level, dominating the season with a league-best 214 marks. Many of these were taken thanks to his canny reading of the play. He repeatedly intercepted the opposition's long kicks forward with towering marks across the half-back line. He was installed as a hot favourite to win theBrownlow Medal after averaging an astounding 30.6 disposals and 11 marks per game over the final 8 rounds. Stynes polled 25 votes to win the1991 Brownlow Medal, five votes clear of his nearest rivals. He remains the only non-Australian-born player to receive game's most prestigious individual honour. He was also awarded theAFL Players Association MVP trophy, was named theAll-Australian ruckman, and won his firstclub best-and-fairest award for Melbourne.
Media commentators noted that Stynes had used his extraordinary endurance to redefine the role of the professional ruckman. While many of his opponents were over 2 metres tall, Stynes played in the style of a tall ruck-rover. Instead of focusing on hitouts and playing in bursts, he ran the whole game and gained possession across the entire ground.[16] This was a model of play which many other mid-sized ruckmen such asGeelong andEssendon'sJohn Barnes were able to successfully follow.[citation needed]
An exceptional run of consecutive games which had begun in Round 18 of 1987[13] almost ended with a severe rib injury in 1993 that Stynes sustained from a collision with teammateDavid Neitz in a match against theNorth Melbourne Football Club. He was treated atEpworth Hospital for a compound rib fracture. Despite being ruled out by medical officers for six weeks, he convinced his coachNeil Balme to pass him in the club fitness test and wore a chest guard in order to play the following Friday night.[17]
Stynes finished the season with his consecutive games record unblemished and achieved All-Australian selection for the second time.[13] In1994, he suffered a medial ligament tear but continued to play through it, going on to string together three fine seasons between1995 and1997 in which he won consecutive club champion awards.[13] In Round 9, 1996, Stynes played his 205th consecutive game, breaking the 53-year record held byJack Titus since 1943.[18]
Stynes broke his hand early in the1998 season, effectively ending his streak of consecutive games finally at 244. He retired from professional football at the conclusion of the season, having played a total of 264 AFL games, all at Melbourne, placing him second on the club's all-time games tally at the time.[13]
G | Goals | K | Kicks | D | Disposals | T | Tackles |
B | Behinds | H | Handballs | M | Marks | H/O | Hit-outs |
| Led the league after season and finals |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | H/O | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | H/O | ||||
| 1987 | Melbourne | 37 | 13 | 15 | 10 | 116 | 45 | 161 | 48 | 8 | 114 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 8.9 | 3.5 | 12.4 | 3.7 | 0.6 | 8.8 |
| 1988 | Melbourne | 11 | 26 | 26 | 13 | 316 | 107 | 423 | 135 | 21 | 196 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 12.2 | 4.1 | 16.3 | 5.2 | 0.8 | 7.5 |
| 1989 | Melbourne | 11 | 24 | 17 | 14 | 327 | 112 | 439 | 119 | 26 | 254 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 13.6 | 4.7 | 18.3 | 5.0 | 1.1 | 10.6 |
| 1990 | Melbourne | 11 | 24 | 11 | 8 | 306 | 129 | 435 | 125 | 25 | 258 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 12.8 | 5.4 | 18.1 | 5.2 | 1.0 | 10.8 |
| 1991 | Melbourne | 11 | 24 | 15 | 10 | 382 | 232 | 614 | 214 | 11 | 256 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 15.9 | 9.7 | 25.6 | 8.9 | 0.5 | 10.7 |
| 1992 | Melbourne | 11 | 22 | 9 | 3 | 334 | 180 | 514 | 166 | 13 | 335 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 15.2 | 8.2 | 23.4 | 7.5 | 0.6 | 15.2 |
| 1993 | Melbourne | 11 | 20 | 6 | 8 | 265 | 179 | 444 | 123 | 6 | 264 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 13.3 | 9.0 | 22.2 | 6.2 | 0.3 | 13.2 |
| 1994 | Melbourne | 11 | 25 | 10 | 8 | 241 | 179 | 420 | 126 | 16 | 269 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 9.6 | 7.2 | 16.8 | 5.0 | 0.6 | 10.8 |
| 1995 | Melbourne | 11 | 22 | 9 | 3 | 264 | 137 | 401 | 134 | 15 | 242 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 12.0 | 6.2 | 18.2 | 6.1 | 0.7 | 11.0 |
| 1996 | Melbourne | 11 | 22 | 7 | 10 | 267 | 182 | 449 | 144 | 26 | 349 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 12.1 | 8.3 | 20.4 | 6.5 | 1.2 | 15.9 |
| 1997 | Melbourne | 11 | 22 | 3 | 4 | 279 | 172 | 451 | 126 | 16 | 320 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 12.7 | 7.8 | 20.5 | 5.7 | 0.7 | 14.5 |
| 1998 | Melbourne | 11 | 20 | 2 | 6 | 145 | 89 | 234 | 56 | 6 | 253 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 7.3 | 4.5 | 11.7 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 12.7 |
| Career | 264 | 130 | 97 | 3242 | 1743 | 4985 | 1516 | 189 | 3110 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 12.3 | 6.6 | 18.9 | 5.7 | 0.7 | 11.8 | ||
| Brownlow Medal votes | |
| Season | Votes |
|---|---|
| 1987 | — |
| 1988 | 4 |
| 1989 | 10 |
| 1990 | 5 |
| 1991 | 25 |
| 1992 | 8 |
| 1993 | 12 |
| 1994 | 7 |
| 1995 | 15 |
| 1996 | 11 |
| 1997 | 4 |
| 1998 | 4 |
| Total | 105 |
| Key: | |
| Green /Bold =Won | |
In 1994, Stynes co-founded (with film directorPaul Currie)[20]The Reach Foundation and became a prominent youth worker in Victoria.
In addition to Reach, Stynes worked on government advisory boards, including the 1997Victorian Government Suicide Task Force and the Federal Minister For Youth's Youth Advisory Consultative Forum Committee.[citation needed]
Stynes authored several books. His written works include two autobiographies:Whatever It Takes (1996) with Jim Main[21] andMy Journey (2012) withWarwick Green, along with children'sself-help books co-written by Dr Jon Carnegie, includingHeroes (2003)[22] andFinding Heroes (2006).[23][24]
In 2008, Stynes began expressing an interest in becoming chairman. In June 2008, Melbourne's chairman,Paul Gardner, stepped down as president to make way for Stynes.[25]
His early-stated main goal at this stage was to increase the Melbourne membership total—especially the junior membership base as stated onThe Footy Show on 12 June 2008. Shortly following his election, he declared his staunch stance against any proposed relocation of the club to theGold Coast or elsewhere.[26]
In March 2011, Stynes metPrince William, Duke of Cambridge, inKerang, teaching him basic Australian rules football skills.[27]
In July 2011, Stynes, in his role as chairman, announced the sacking ofDean Bailey as Melbourne Football Club senior coach after a club board meeting due to an embarrassing 186-point loss toGeelong inRound 19, 2011. Stynes said he found it extremely hard to tell Bailey of the club's decision, stating: "It wasn't something I was looking forward to," and "It makes it hard, because Dean Bailey is such a great man and a man of integrity".[28][29]
In December 2011, Stynes handed his #11 guernsey to new recruitMitch Clark.[30]In February 2012, Stynes stepped down from the presidency of Melbourne, citing a desire to devote his energies towards his family and wellbeing. He was succeeded by his vice-president, Don McLardy.[31]
TheJim Stynes Medal was named in Stynes' honour and first awarded in 1998 to the best Australian player in theInternational Rules series. The Jim Stynes Cup (also known as the Jim Stynes trophy) was named in Stynes' honour and awarded to the winner of the inauguralInternational Australian Football Youth Tournament.[32]
In 2000, Stynes received anAustralian Sports Medal[33] and was named inMelbourne Football Club's Team of the Century. In 2001, he received theCentenary Medal "for establishing and leading a Reach organisation for youth development" and was namedVictorian of the Year.[34]
In 2003, Stynes was inducted into theAustralian Football Hall of Fame and was named Victorian of the Year.[35] In 2006, during the redevelopment of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a new corporate dining and function room in level 2 of the Olympic Stand was named the "Jim Stynes Room" in honour of Stynes.[36]
In 2007, he was awarded theMedal of the Order of Australia for his work with youth and contribution to Australian rules football.[37]
Stynes was named Melburnian of the Year for 2010 for his Reach Foundation work.[38] He was named aDoctor of the University by theAustralian Catholic University in recognition of his social work.[11]
On 2 July 2009, Stynes held a media conference to inform the public that he had developed cancer. A lump in his back was shown to bemelanoma, and tests revealed that his cancer hadmetastasised, i.e. spread to other regions in his body.[39] Stynes intended to make clear that he was not stepping down from his role as president of the Melbourne Football Club but instead just taking a break to seek treatment.[40]
On 4 April 2010, it was revealed that his condition had worsened, and three days later he had surgery forbrain metastasis.[41] He continued to work during his treatment and participated in the filming of a television documentary about his life and his battle with cancer,Every Heart Beats True: The Jim Stynes Story, produced by friendsJules Lund and Reach co-founderPaul Currie, which aired on 19 September 2010 on theNine Network.[42][43]
Stynes died at his home in St Kilda on 20 March 2012, aged 45.[44][45][46][47] He wascremated, and his ashes were scattered at a "treasured spot" he chose before he died.[5]
Ted Baillieu, thePremier of Victoria, described Stynes as "an exceptional Victorian", and he later offered astate funeral to Stynes' family, which was accepted.[48]
The memorial was held atSt Paul's Cathedral (an Anglican cathedral, although Stynes was Roman Catholic[49]) incentral Melbourne on 27 March 2012, with the service shown on screen atFederation Square.[50]
Former teammate and captainGarry Lyon gave an emotional tribute to Stynes onThe Footy Show, saying: "Jimmy refused to let the game define who he was. It was just a part of him and it allowed us to marvel at his determination, unwavering self-belief, resilience, strength, skill, endurance and courage" and that his good friend "was secure enough to know that displaying vulnerability can be a strength and not a weakness".[51]
Amoment of silence was observed at theMelbourne Cricket Ground on the day of Stynes' death, and both the Melbourne Football Club and theCasey Scorpions unveiled itsVFL-affiliate plan to commemorate Stynes at their first home games in 2012.[5][52]
At the launch of the2012 Australian Football League season, both Stynes' replacement as president of the Melbourne Football Club, Don McLardy, and the AFL'schief executive officer,Andrew Demetriou, acknowledged his contribution to football in Australia.[53]
A minute's silence was observed before the season-opening Sydney Derby between theGreater Western Sydney Giants andSydney Swans.[54]
A commemoration was held prior toDublin'sNational Football League match againstDonegal,[55] both of which were held on the Saturday after Stynes' death.
Melbourne ruckman and captainMax Gawn paid tribute to Stynes, among other deceased club identities, in a post-match interview upon the club winning the2021 AFL Grand Final, which had been 57 years in the making.[56] Stynes presented Gawn with his number 37 before Gawn's debut in 2011,[57] and Gawn later switched to the number 11 jumper just as Stynes had done.[58]
An A$3 million 5-year partnership with the Australian government, Reach Foundation and Australian Football League for children of indigenous or multicultural backgrounds—or from disadvantaged backgrounds—was announced following Stynes' death.[59]
The Jim Stynes Foundation is a nonprofit founded in 2015 to "continue developing programs and initiatives that embody resilience, prioritizes mental health and shapes our future".[60]
Established in 2012, the year of Stynes' passing, the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award is an A$20,000 awarded annually to "current AFL andAFLW players who demonstrate a commitment to the community and helping others" to be given to the charity or community program of the winner's choosing.[61] The award is given at the ceremony for theBrownlow Medal, and it has been awarded toDaniel Jackson (2012),Zac Smith (2013),Beau Waters (2014),Dennis Armfield (2015),Jimmy Bartel (2016),Jack Hombsch (2017),Neville Jetta (2018),Stephen Coniglio (2019),Bachar Houli (2020),Travis Boak (2021),Joel Selwood (2022),Sam Docherty (2023), andReilly O'Brien (2024; AFL) andMadi Scanlon (2024;AFLW).[61][62] The Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award is currently a joint venture between the AFL and the Jim Stynes Foundation.[61] As of 2023, A$220,000 has been distributed among various charities and community programs.
Stynes' family has a strong history inGaelic football. His uncleJoe Stynes was an All-Ireland Gaelic footballer with Dublin (1923).[63] His younger brotherBrian won anAll-Ireland with Dublin (1995). Jim played against Brian in theInternational Rules Series against Ireland many times. Brian followed Jim to play professional Australian rules at Melbourne; however, he returned to Ireland having played just two senior games in 1992.[64]
Another younger brother,David, also played both Gaelic football and Australian rules, albeit at an amateur level, having played in theIreland national Australian rules football team. He was the first player to win the cup twice, being a member of the winning team in the2002 International Cup and2011 International Cup.[65][66] His cousinChris Stynes is a formerMajor League Baseballutility player.[63]
Jim Stynes and his wife, Samantha, had a daughter, Matisse, and a son, Tiernan.[67]
He has a cousin, Jim Stynes, who plays for Melbourne
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