Geoff Lyons (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

James 'Jim' Stynes OAM was born on 23 April 1966 and died on 20 March 2012. He was an Irish Aussie Rules player, a philanthropist, co-founder of the Reach Foundation, writer, youth worker, qualified teacher and, from 2008, the chairman of the Melbourne Football Club. He well and truly deserves the honour of this motion of condolence in the Australian parliament. In 1994 he co-founded the Reach Foundation, an organisation that helps young people aged 10 to 18, regardless of their circumstances. And he has helped thousands. The Reach Foundation was established by Jim Stynes OAM, AFL Brownlow Medallist, youth motivator and Victorian of the Year, and by Australian film director Paul Currie. Jim and Paul were two young men who recognised that too often the greatness of young people was hidden behind fear, anger and hurt. The Reach Foundation was born from a desire to inspire every young person to believe in themselves and to get the most out of life. Today, Reach's crew and staff have lost our co-founder, close friend and mentor, the Foundation said in its statement posted on Facebook today. It went on:

Jim believed there is greatness in each and every one of us…Those of us who knew and loved Jim will honour his legacy by living our lives with the passion, honesty, courage and purpose he inspired in us. We'll miss you, big fella.

Jim had a house in Launceston and was at the football at York Park one day when North Launceston Football Club, of which I am a member, was really struggling financially. I approached Jim and asked him if he would come and speak at our lunch that we were holding to try to raise money to keep the club going. Without hesitation he agreed. He was very generous, open and honest in speaking and answering questions that day. I found him to be a humble, friendly, quiet and inspirational man. Jim fought cancer in the same way he played football, with admirable courage and 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 Barassi's famous Irish experiment. Melbourne wanted to see if they could recruit talented Gaelic footballers and turn them into Aussie Rules players. Jim Stynes was by far the most successful graduate of this scheme.

The Demons liked him because he was athletic and he would stay behind after training and practise with the oval ball. He came to Australia in 1984 and had a tough apprentice as a ruckman. He made his senior debut in 1987. Stynes's lack of AFL experience cost him—and I will not go into that as others have already mentioned the Buckenara incident. Jim's personal qualities and strength of character were revealed a year later when he put that behind him and played in Melbourne's losing grand final side. In 1991 he won the AFL's highest honour, the Brownlow Medal. By the time he won the Brownlow, Stynes was also well into his remarkable streak of 244 continuous 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, particularly after the incident with Rod Grinter. 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 with four, including three straight from 1995 to 1997. Stynes was two-time all Australian, named in Melbourne's team of the century, played 10 games for Victoria and represented Australia and Ireland in International Rules—the Jim Stynes medal is awarded to the best Australia player in the International Rules series. Stynes was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in 2003.

Stynes, as has been said before, was a self-confessed wild child and sport was the only part of his youth that gave him a release. Former Melbourne and Demons player and Irish AFL legend Jim Stynes has died at 45 after a long battle with cancer. Mr Stynes, a Dubliner, passed away at 08:20 am today. His wife, Sam Stynes, said in a statement released this morning, 'He died surrounded by family. Jim was pain free, dignified and peaceful.' Thank you, Jim Stynes, for your contribution to Australia. Jim, you well and truly deserve to be remembered only for the good you have done. You deserve this expression of condolence in the Australian parliament.

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