Thread: Jim STYNES AFL legend dies. RIP

What a magnificent example of strength in the face of the most terrible adversity (attacked from within). We will remember how he always pushed through the crappy hand life dealt him and continued on with his life and lifes work with out complaint.

I often struggle to drag my sad, sorry old butt out of bed after a few days of hard physical work. And that's when I am (reasonably) fit, (mostly) healthy, the sun is shining and its a beautiful day. I want to be more like Jim as I continue to "grow up". It makes you realise how easy most of us actually have it when you hear about the challenges endured by heroes like Jim.

He will be sorely missed, but you just know he would want every one of us still living to give our utmost to moving forward and living our lives to the fullest.

They may never read it here on AULRO, but sincere condolences for his family and friends... the world is now missing a massive slice of positivity, determination and bravery.

R.I.P. Jimmy.

R.I.P. JIM, 45 is far to young to go

This better sums up some of his achievements for those who have no idea who he is, there will, I'm sure, be mourning acroos Ireland also.

Jim Stynes' life an inspiration
Tuesday, March 20, 2012 » 12:29pm


A doctor once told cycling legend Lance Armstrong he had seen some terrible people beat cancer and the best succumb to the disease.

Jim Stynes was only 45 when he died on Tuesday morning with wife Sam and children Matisse and Tiernan by his side, after a near three-year battle with brain cancer.

Don McLardy, who succeeded Stynes as president of AFL club Melbourne early this year, recounted an anecdote on Tuesday he felt best encapsulated a man universally admired and loved in AFL circles and beyond.

'He once told me that having cancer was a privilege,' McLardy said.

'He said he had worked with many young people who had been in life-threatening situations, and he never really knew how they felt.

'He believed having cancer would help him understand what those young people were experiencing, and make him a much better person to help them.

'Cancer a privilege - it takes a special person to consider that.'

Armstrong was one of many people to quickly pass on his condolences via Twitter.

'RIP Jim Stynes. We'll miss you mate,' said the American, who won the Tour de France a record seven years in a row after surviving testicular cancer.

The Dublin-born Stynes packed plenty into an astonishing life that ended far too early.

After creating one of the most remarkable stories in Australian sporting history, he became a renowned youth worker.

Then he stepped up to become the figurehead of his beloved Melbourne football club's fightback from near-AFL oblivion, taking over as chairman in mid-2008, a year before being diagnosed with the illness.

Stynes fought cancer the same way he played football - with admirable courage and a fierce determination, regardless of what was coming at him.

The Dubliner was 18 when he answered a newspaper advertisement placed by the Demons as part of their famous 'Irish experiment'.

Melbourne wanted to see if they could recruit talented Gaelic footballers and turn them into Australian Rules players.

Stynes was by far the most successful graduate of this left-field scheme.

The Demons liked him because he was athletic and he would stay behind after training to practise further with the oval ball.

He came to Australia in late 1984 and after a tough apprenticeship, the ruckman made his senior debut in 1987.

But Stynes' lack of AFL experience cost him horribly at the end of the 1987 preliminary final, when he ran across the mark and gave away a crucial 15m penalty in the dying seconds.

That put Hawthorn's Gary Buckenara within scoring range and he kicked the winning goal.

One of the most famous photos in AFL history shows a seething Melbourne coach John Northey in the changerooms post-match.

Northey is clearly delivering some choice words to Stynes who is a blurred figure in the foreground of the photo, his head bowed.

A few weeks later, during a holiday in Europe, a stranger asked Stynes in France if he was the bloke who had run across the mark.

How Stynes reacted to that epic blunder was an early sign of his immense character.

A year later, he played in Melbourne's losing grand final side.

In 1991, Stynes won the AFL's highest individual honour, the Brownlow Medal.

He remains the only player brought up outside Australia to win the medal.

By the time he won the Brownlow, Stynes was also well into his remarkable streak of 244 consecutive games, an AFL record.

That nearly ended in 1993 when Stynes suffered a serious rib injury, which was supposed to put him out for several weeks.

After treatment, Stynes insisted he was available to play and so the Demons put him through a brutal fitness test that included several team-mates.

Among them was Rod Grinter, then one of the game's most feared players.

The session ended in blows, but Stynes played.

The streak eventually ended in 1998 and Stynes retired at the end of that season after 264 games.

He equalled the club record for the most best and fairest awards with four, including three-straight from 1995-97.

Stynes was a two-time All-Australian who was named in Melbourne's team of the century.

He played 10 games for Victoria and represented Australia and Ireland in International Rules.

The Jim Stynes Medal is awarded to the best Australian player in the International Rules series.

Stynes was inducted into the AFL Hall Of Fame in 2003.

In 1994, he co-founded the Reach Foundation, an organisation that aims to help young people aged 10-18, regardless of their circumstances.

Stynes was a self-confessed wild child and said sport was the only part of his youth that gave him a release.

He is a legend and will be greatly missed. Heard this on the way to the airport this morning and was greatly saddened. So young I am 45 this year, so struck home.
One of the games true gentlemen. Will certainly take time to have an ale in his name when I get home next week.
CraigE

Far more than just an AFL legend...

I have never been overly interested in AFL

But as a human being with true integrity he certainly deserved the title "legend".

The world needs more like Jim Stynes, it's a very sad day, he was far too young.