John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

James Stynes was born in Ireland and played Gaelic football for his local club, Ballyboden St Endas. In 1984 he won the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship with Dublin. Jim had never been to Australia and had only heard of Aussie Rules through watching, as a 16-year-old, the classic Bruce Beresford film of David Williamson's play The Club, starring Aussie legends Jack Thompson and Graham Kennedy. Little was this Irish kid to know that one day he too would be considered an Aussie legend.

In the search of opportunity he answered an advertisement for an Aussie Rules scholarship selection camp and was subsequently chosen as one of two players to initiate the Irish experiment in 1984. After initial difficulty adjusting to the oval ball and physical game, Jim made his senior debut for the Melbourne Demons in 1987. In an incident that would have crushed most young footballers, Stynes was responsible for giving away a 15-metre penalty in the dying seconds of the 1987 preliminary final for a very low-level indiscretion—running between the man with the ball and the mark. The penalty gave that man, Hawthorn's Garry Buckenara, an advantage to kick the winning goal and deny Melbourne its first grand final appearance in 23 years. That this was also the final game for Demons hero Robbie Flower and was not a good way for a young foreigner to win the hearts of Demons supporters. It has become the stuff of legend that just four years later Stynes would win the AFL's greatest individual honour, the Brownlow Medal—an award that eluded so many of the game's greats like Robbie Flower, Leigh Matthews, Gary Ablett Senior, Wayne Carey, Ted Whitten, Norm Smith, Darrell Baldock and Ron Barassi, the legend who piloted the Irish experiment. Stynes went on to play an incredible 244 consecutive games of football in a career of 264 games, placing him second on the Demons' all-time players list to Flower.

To play for over 10 years in such a highly physical and sometimes violent sport and never miss a game through injury or suspension beggars belief. This period included a compound rib fracture that club doctors said would rule him out for six weeks and a tear to his medial ligament, which he played through. There was an extended joke among sports commentators: Jim Stynes broke both his legs in the game today, but should be alright to play next week. Stynes went on to equal the club record of four best and fairest awards, including three in consecutive years—an amazing achievement in a club with such a rich history dating back to 1858. Jim went on to play for Victoria and even represented Australia against his mother country in international rules games, including against his brother Brian.

Whilst still playing footy Jim showed his heart and character by setting up the Reach foundation. Reach is based on the belief 'that every young person has the support and self-belief they need to fulfil their potential and dare to dream.' It was the dreams of a young Jim Stynes in Dublin that have led to the standing with which this parliament and the entire Australian community hold him today.

Jim received many honours following his retirement from football, including the Australian Sports Medal in 2000, a Centenary Medal in 2001 and the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2007. He was also named Victorian of the Year on three separate occasions, most recently in 2011, and named in the AFL Hall of Fame in 2003. The Jim Stynes Medal is awarded by the AFL to the best Australian player in the international rules series against Ireland. Jim's passion for his club saw him take an interest in the position of president of the Melbourne Football Club. Such was the respect and reverence with which he was held that, shortly after, the then incumbent president stepped down to make way for Jim to take over.

Just a year later Jim announced that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer that had spread to his brain. Jim fought his personal and professional battles with a unique courage. He led the fight against moves to relocate his struggling football club and, whilst they may not have achieved much success on the field since, he rebuilt the base of the club, reinvigorated the membership and raised an incredible $2 million in one night to save the club from financial ruin.

Jim stepped down from the presidency just last month to focus time on his family. The new President, Don McLardy, wrote of Jim's unique character:

Perhaps this story best encapsulates Jim Stynes for me. He once told me that having cancer was a privilege. 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.

Jim Stynes has authored several books, including an autobiography called Whatever It Takes. He also co-wrote two children's self-help books as part of his work with Reach, called Heroes and Finding Heroes. Jim leaves behind his supportive wife Samantha and their children Matisse and Tiernan, as well as hundreds of thousands of football followers and young people on either side of the planet that dare to dream. AFL legend and GWS coach Kevin Sheedy has described Jim Stynes as the greatest story in the history of the AFL. It is hard to argue with Sheeds, yet today it is a sad story as we mourn the loss of a great sportsman and a great Australian.

Just like the sad loss of St Kilda legend Trevor Barker in 1996 on the verge of becoming a senior coach before succumbing to cancer at just 39 years of age, it is a tragedy for both our nation's great game and for the broader community, when a legend and a gentleman like Jim Stynes is taken away from us so early. I send my respect and admiration to Jim's family and to all those whose lives he touched. It is appropriate that the final words should go to the Reach foundation, who today posted on their website:

Today, Reach's Crew and Staff have lost our Co-Founder, close friend, mentor and hero.

Jim believed there is greatness in each and every one of us. He not only encouraged us to see this for ourselves, but supported over half a million young Australians to recognise this for themselves, too.

Those of us who knew and loved Jim will honour his legacy by living our lives with passion, honesty, courage and purpose he inspired in us.

We will miss you, big fella.

I would like to add, that so often the term 'hero' is used to describe sportsmen. This time, the term 'hero' is most appropriate.

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