Jim Stynes

DOB: April 23, 1966
Debut: Round 3, 1987 against Geelong at Kardinia Park
Last Game: Preliminary Final 1998 against North Melbourne at MCG

Games: 264
Goals: 130
Career Statistics

From: Ireland

Number: 37 1987, 11 1988-1998

Honours
Brownlow Medal - 1991
Grand Final team - 1988
Best and Fairest - 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997
All Australian - 1991, 1993
AFL Consecutive Games record holder (244)
Club President - 2008 - 2009
150 Heroes selection
Team of the Century member
AFLPA Most Valuable Player - 1991
MFC Most Consistent Player - 1991, 1997
MFC Best Clubman - 1988
Media Association Player of the Year - 1991
Australian Football Hall of Fame member
Victoria state player - 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994
Australian International Rules player - 1987, 1998
Irish International Rules player - 1990
AFL Life Member
Deputy Vice Captain - 1990
Vice Captain - 1991 - 1994

The Irish Experiment

Recruited from Ireland as part of Ron Barassi's "Irish Experiment", Stynes came to the club while they were enjoying a surplus of ruckmen and was farmed out to VFA club Prahran to learn his craft. After only 12 games with the Two Blues (where he would finish second in the Best and Fairest) Stynes debuted early in 1987 as the club's third Irishman behind Paul Earley and Sean Wight. In his first intra-club practice matches he had been shadowed by Peter Keenan who, acting as an on-field coach, educated him on how to play the ruck.

Dropped after his first senior game, Stynes bounced back to play in the 1987 Night Premiership? victory in just his third senior game. When Peter Moore retired halfway through the season he won a permanent ruck role within the team. His season ended with a famous run across the mark in the Preliminary Final which gifted Gary Buckenera a 15m penalty and easier shot at goal after the siren. That year he won the Reserves Best and Fairest.

Stung by the horrific end to his first season in the big league Stynes threw himself into training and even beat elite Australian athlete Steve Monaghetti in a 7.5km race up a Ballarat mountain during 1988 pre-season training. Monaghetti might not have been running at 100% pace, he even spent time running alongside the pack encouraging them, but it was still a remarkable finish.

Stynes played a dominant 1991 season and was an easy winner of the Brownlow Medal. It was one of the most amazing stories in the history of our game - that a player had come from overseas and not only learnt the game but mastered it was amazing. More so considering that a lesser man would have crumbled under the aftermath of his 1987 gaffe.

He continued to be one of his side's best in the next few years, winning three more best and fairest awards to join Allan La Fontaine as the only men to win the award four times at Melbourne.

Stynes played 244 consecutive games of VFL/AFL football, beating the record of 204 set by Richmond's Jack Titus more than fifty years before. The run, which saw Stynes play with a multitude of injuries, only ended with a broken hand suffered in round 4, 1998 against Carlton at Optus Oval. A few weeks later he was struck down with injury again, suffering a minor left knee injury during his side's disappointing loss to St. Kilda.

Stynes announced his retirement on October 3, 1998 at the Melbourne Best and Fairest count, and played his last game of competitive football in the International Rules series of that year. The Demons coaching staff had made it clear that he would play second fiddle to youngster Jeff White in 1999, and Stynes decided to bow out on his own terms.

He was a ruck coach at the Demons from 2000 until the end of 2002.

Tribunal Record

After Football

After his retirement Stynes continued his work with the Reach Youth Foundation, which he had formed in 1994. In 2000 he was named Victorian of the Year by the Herald Sun newspaper in recognition of help the foundation had provided to more than 120,000 people since its formation. He also won the official Victorian of the Year award in 2003. In 2007 he received the medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)

The Presidency

Ascending to the presidency with the resignation of Paul Gardner, Stynes set about repairing the fractions in the club and creating a united front. Soon after taking office it was announced that Melbourne were in even more financial trouble that had been thought and a Debt Demolition month was announced to try and wipe a sizeable chunk of the debt off. It succeeded.

On Wednesday the 1st of July 2009, Channel 9 and Fox Sports reported Stynes' was to step down as Melbourne chairman in a press conference on Thursday the 2nd of July.

On Thursday the 2nd of July, Stynes confirmed that he would take "a break from the club, not permanent leave" as he battled cancer. Vice President, Don McLardy, was nominated to take the chairmanship.

In October 2009 Stynes announced via Twitter that doctors had found a tumour on his brain and that he would be forced to undergo radiation therapy.

Video

Lists
The Irish Experiment

Links
Wikipedia profile
Jim Stynes on Twitter