Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Regional Transport) Share this | Hansard source

I accept the interjection: everyone does hate Collingwood! Jim's personality transcended those club loyalties. We have seen such an outpouring of support for his family, of grief, of expressions of deep respect for Jim Stynes. Social media networks have been overflowing with people expressing their concern for his family but also their sadness and their debt of gratitude to a man who gave so much in such a short period of time. All of those comments have been very well earned by Jim Stynes. At a time when our football clubs and our football players are often in the news for all the wrong reasons, it is actually a great moment of celebration, in a strange way, that we can be here tonight speaking to this condolence motion and celebrating a great life and a great footballer. I think it is important that we talk about the positives of these men who are involved in our football community and go on to achieve other great things in their lives.

Jim was an inspiration to many and he demonstrated some of the most important values and characteristics that you will see at an elite sporting level and in life itself—things like resilience and determination, extraordinary courage in adversity, working as part of a team, and fighting hard but still always respecting your opponent. They are some of the things that we can all take from Jim Stynes's life. I think it is one of the great things about the Australian Rules football community that those characteristics and values are held very strongly in football clubs. At their very best they can help to shape young men so that they can go on and achieve great things after their football career is finished. As much as we say that the Melbourne Football Club was lucky to have known Jim Stynes, I am sure Jim Stynes in his own private moments would have said that he was lucky to have found the Melbourne Football Club at the stage in his life that he did.

Jimmy Stynes was a champion and it is fitting that this parliament recognises his extraordinary contribution both to Australian Rules and the nation as a whole. I thank the House.

See this speech in context