Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today we mourn the passing of a very special Australian, a man who has left an indelible mark on our lives—Jim Stynes. Taken by cancer at just 45 years of age, Jim will be fondly remembered not just as a champion footballer but as a champion human being. He was the winner of the Brownlow Medal in 1991, an All Australian, a multiple best and fairest award winner and a member of the Melbourne Football Club's team of the century.

Who would have thought that in 1984, when he responded to a local ad in an Irish newspaper looking for Gaelic players as potential AFL recruits, that such a career would come about, that he would become the Victorian of the Year three times, that he would be inducted into the Order of Australia and that his name would become synonymous with helping others.

I met Jim last year at a Reach Foundation breakfast, where I attended as a guest of board member and friend, Bill Ranken, and which hundreds of people attended. At that time Jim was clearly battling hard against the illness, but he seemed both positive and determined. We always knew that Jim Stynes had a special zest for life. As the co-founder of Reach with his mate Paul Currie, Jim Stynes has been responsible for preventative programs that have helped over 60,000 Australians aged between 10 and 18 years of age build their self- confidence, develop resilience and emotional awareness and promote general wellbeing. This is Jim Stynes's real legacy: the hundreds and indeed thousands of lives he has left better off.

To Jim's wife, Sam, and their children, Tiernan and Matisse, I say the country's thoughts go out to you at this very difficult time. Your husband and father was a brave and dignified man who won the nation's heart, and his departure now breaks the nation's heart. We mourn Jim Stynes and we will always remember him as the champion he was.

Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Early Childhood and Childcare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to also add my remarks on the passing of Jim Stynes today and to state to the House that it was with so much sadness as well as shock that I heard the news this morning. It was with sadness because today was the day that Australia lost a true champion both on and off the field, someone whose contributions will continue to be felt for many years to come. But I have to admit I was also a little bit shocked when I heard the news, which is in some ways ridiculous, because we had all heard the diagnosis; we all knew the situation that Jim Stynes was facing. But there was the fact that anyone who has seen how inspiring Jim has been throughout this struggle, anyone who has seen just how strong a man he was in so many ways, could be forgiven for thinking that if there was anyone who was going to come out by pulling out an absolute miracle, then Jim Stynes it would have been. Yet of course, here we are today marking his passing.

I would like to take the opportunity on behalf of not just myself but also the fine folk of the electorate of Adelaide to extend my condolences. As you would know, we are not known for being Melbourne supporters but we are known for being AFL tragics. There is no question that Jim Stynes was an absolute giant of the game. We know that he won the Brownlow Medal in 1991 and that he holds the AFL record for the most consecutive games played—244 games without missing a beat. His contribution to the game has been great in so many ways including post retirement when he became the club president of Melbourne in 2007 and publicly stated that his goal was to boost membership, to attract young people to the club and to ensure that it stayed strong for many years to come.

He was an absolute champion of Australian Rules Football but, in speaking on this condolence motion, I think it is necessary to focus on the achievements of Jim Stynes off the field as well as on. If one fact illustrates how impressive a man he was then perhaps it is that he was not once, but twice, named Victorian of the Year in both 2001 and 2003. Further, in 2007, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his work with youth and for his contribution to Australian football.

I consider myself very lucky because I had the chance to meet and briefly work with Jim Stynes in my capacity as sports minister when I would see him at many different sporting events. Jim always met people with a smile and always had a relaxed and fun-loving nature. I also met him through my time as youth minister when I had a chance to see, first hand, the truly amazing work of the Reach foundation. For those of us who may not be familiar with it, the Reach foundation state that they believe every young person should have the support and the self-belief that they need in order to fulfil their full potential. They help young people get to this point through running school and community based programs designed to promote strength, mental health and resilience.

I had the opportunity to visit when Jim was there and see the work that they were doing with young people. One thing that really struck me about Jim that I would like to share with the House today is the fact that, as is so often the case when you are talking about true champions, they actually think that what they are doing is entirely normal and it comes completely natural to them. I had the chance to see a room full of kids who many people would have looked at and said, 'These are severely troubled, at-risk kids, who have some pretty serious issues in their life.' A lot of people would have talked about the negatives of those kids, about the risks and the damage that they could do to our community. But I saw Jim Stynes sit down—as if the most natural thing in the world was to sit down—and have a face-to-face conversation about his life, his experiences and how he could relate to what these kids were going through. I got to see, first hand, the defences come down and people instantly felt comfortable around this true Australian champion who was taking the time to reach out and share some of his experiences with young Australians who needed it the most. That was a pretty special experience for me.

One of the things that I think is really important about the Reach foundation is that they know that it is about empowering young people. It is a program set up for young people but, importantly, they know that the most powerful way of doing that is by delivering it through young people. Rather than having Jim or a whole host of adults stand up and lecture or tell their stores, they empower young people to relate with other young people to help build a generation that is resilient, a generation that can discuss their experiences. With many of the things that they face today, which mine and other generations did not face in the same way, they sat down and talked about their experiences with bullying and with some of the hardships of life. The work of the Reach foundation and the work of Jim has done countless good for so many people in our society. I do note that Don McLardy the Reach foundation chairman said today:

Our job at Reach will be to continue the important work Jim started, to carry the values forward he believed in, and make sure we never lose sight of the Reach spirit that we all understand and believe in.

If that is true then that is a pretty impressive legacy, a legacy that this man is going to leave behind for tens of thousands of adoring football fans who will remember all of their favourite highlights, but also for tens of thousands of young Australians—and who knows how many more to come—who will be touched by the fact that he had the passion and he had the commitment for this particular course.

I also want to give my condolences to Jim's immediate family: to his wife, Samantha, and his two children—his daughter, Matisse, and his son, Tiernan. None of us can know what it is they are going through today, but some of us can relate to it. If I could pass one thing on, I would say to his two children: I had the experience of losing my father to cancer when he too was just 45. One thing I wish somebody could have assured me of at the time was that those memories will never fade, that the pride you have in such a remarkable father will never ever go away and that the bonds will never be broken. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with sadness in my heart that I stand here today to talk about the passing of the Demons legend Jim Stynes. He was a true Demon with an enormous heart that he used in both his football life and his after-football life to help those less fortunate than himself.

As a long-time premiership starved supporter of the Melbourne Football Club, it was players like Jim Stynes who kept the passion going for supporters like me going during the barren years of the club. The last premiership was in 1964. From the time of his arrival as a new, untried Irish recruit, through his playing days and then as the club chairman, it would be hard to find a man not Melbourne born and bred with such a commitment to the mighty Demons.

There are many who might say he was not always right as chairman, but you could never question his motives when it came to the club and its supporters. He was an inspiration as a player and then as a victim of cancer. His final fight was his biggest fight and the nation was behind the big smiling Irishman, as we all hoped he would win this battle. Who could forget the holiday snaps of Jim, his wife Sam and their two children last year when he took some time off to be with his family. The smile on his face and his family's faces would only have served to reinforce to everyone in this nation how important family are when we face our biggest hurdles in life.

Jim had his own family, and my deepest sympathy goes to Sam, Matisse and Tiernan. Jim also had the Melbourne Football Club—and most of Melbourne—as his extended family. I know people from all over this country who observed his battle with cancer and I know the enormous respect he garnered with his battle, and he inspired many more. On today's Channel 9 website of the Wide World of Sport, the following words were written about Jim:

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."

It went on to say:

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.

It also said:

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. 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 was twice named Victorian of the year for his social work and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2007.

In early July 2009, Jim and Sam Stynes fronted a packed media conference at the MCG to confirm rumours he had cancer.

Stynes had a particularly nasty form of the disease and he was initially given only nine months to live.

But he stayed on as Melbourne chairman until early 2012, with the club having endured a remarkable off-field turn-around under his stewardship.

Stynes used Twitter to give updates on his battle with the disease, but the extent of his fight was laid bare in September 2010.

Jules Lund, one of his best friends, helped produce a television documentary on Stynes.

It showed Stynes going to the extremes of drinking his own urine and having coffee enemas to help combat the cancer.

Sam Stynes wrote on her Facebook page that her husband was "pain-free, dignified and peaceful" when he died on Tuesday morning with his family by his side.

"Not surprisingly, in his last week of life Jim continued to defy the odds and lived his life to the fullest attending the Melbourne vs. Hawthorn football match, his son Tiernan's 7th Birthday celebration, The MFC Blazer Ceremony and a casual Friday night dinner at Topolinos in his much loved suburb St Kilda," she said.

"In his final days Jim was immersed with insurmountable love and tenderness surrounded by his family and some close friends in the comfort of his own home.

"On behalf of Jim my heartfelt thanks to all those who have so generously cared for, guided and supported Jim throughout his challenging cancer battle."

There is a line that ends the Melbourne Football Club's song that says:

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

Keep your eye on the Red and the Blue.

I am sure Jim will be remembered.

In conclusion, to Jim Stynes, on behalf of myself and also my son Jarrad, who is now a rookie with Port Adelaide Football Club but was a Melbourne Football Club and Jim Stynes fan as a young boy, we salute you and all you have done for your family, for your football club and its supporters, for youth through the Reach foundation and for Australia. May you rest in peace.

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I follow on from the member for Swan by offering my sincere condolences to the family of Jim Stynes and reflecting on the fact that in the parliament today we have a motion of condolence which appropriately recognises the contribution he made not only as a sportsman but also as someone who made a significant contribution to community.

I count myself as one of those lucky people who got to know Jim over his time not only as a footballer but also as an activist in the area of youth. As the minister for youth I want to pay special tribute to the work that Jim did with the Reach foundation which he co-founded with Paul Currie many years ago. In the House as politicians we understand well that a public life of prominence is one thing and to achieve some high level of recognition because you are good at sport and have great sporting qualities is something of acknowledgment. But it is another thing altogether when someone goes that extra mile and contributes back into the community in a meaningful, genuine and a sincere way. The fact is that Jim was a man of great compassion and great heart. He had particular compassion for young Australians who were struggling either because of disadvantage or because of a difficult period in their lives and he determined that, with the Reach foundation, he would do something for them. I think that was a tremendous contribution that he made.

The other thing that I want to remark on is that you can often tell the quality of somebody in the way that they die. When he was first diagnosed with his illness not only did Jim bear it with a remarkable equanimity and goodwill but he in no way allowed it to stop his contribution to the Melbourne Football Club, which for him was one of the most important institutions in his life and his achievements there were great. He won a Brownlow Medal and a number of Best and Fairest. Then he took the role of president to provide the necessary inspiration, leadership and integrity to that position in a period of Melbourne Football Club's history which was challenging to say the least.

In person he was a funny, humble guy who always thought about others. He was modest although confident in his abilities as he should have been because he was a great sportsman, but he was always mindful and concerned for the other. His life is a great exemplar to young footballers because of the way he played the game and the way he served his club and to Australians generally because of the contribution that he made. I do not think there will be any doubt that he will be sorely missed and he is remembered well. It is entirely appropriate for the parliament to acknowledge the contribution that Jim Stynes made.

It is extraordinary for us to think in this country about the contribution that people who come from other places make. The Irish did not play much of a game of football—if you can call it that at all, I think it is stretching it—but I will leave that go. I can hear comments from colleagues around this Federation Chamber, but the fact is that when he came onto the field in Australia to play a great code, Australian Football, he distinguished himself as a great and competitive sportsman.

Jim has received many appropriate honours during the course of his life, but in conclusion I just want to reflect on his generous, gentle humility. He was somewhat of a gentle giant who had a big, big heart and what he gave to other people was truly a mark of the man. He will be remembered well.

John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to 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.

Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too rise to pay tribute to the tragic passing of Jim Stynes. It is ironic that three days after Australia celebrated St Patrick's Day, the celebration of the influence of Irish culture in Australia, we mourn the passing of one of its finest exports to this country. Jim Stynes was one of our most cherished and adopted sons. To Samantha, his wife, and his two children, Matisse and Tiernan, I pay my sincere condolences. They have lost a loving husband and father all too soon to tragedy in the short lifespan that he had. But what a life, what an impact and what an inspiration.

We first got to know him in this country as the lanky Irishman who first tried his luck at Aussie Rules in 1984. He was part of what was termed 'the Irish experiment' brought to Australia under a scheme initiated by Ron Barassi. He already had a natural ability. He was a standout player in Gaelic football in his home country and an All-Ireland minor medallist with Dublin. The former Dublin captain, Paul Clarke, recalls that:

I first played against him in the under 14s and even at that age he was a giant of a man.

This experiment, the Irish experiment, worked a treat. In fact, one could not have scripted it better, because he mastered our game. He was a Brownlow medallist. He won four best and fairests for his club. He played 264 games and, incredibly, a record 244 consecutive games—a benchmark I would suggest in any code of resilience. He was 10 times the Victorian State of Origin player. Whilst it was wonderful to see him play on the field, I always hated it when he was playing North Melbourne. But it was off the field where he continued his true character and his leadership, when he hung up the boots in 1998. I did come to meet him on a number of occasions through his Reach foundation. He co-founded it during his playing career but devoted himself to it, along with many other activities, on his retirement from football. Reach's programs are now run for over 60,000 young Australians every year, and two years ago the Prime Minister and I announced support for the Reach foundation to extend teacher training, to help teenagers suffering bullying, depression and substance misuse and to prevent young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders dropping out of school. It was a wonderful day. It was a game between North Melbourne and the Bulldogs and unfortunately the result was not good on that occasion either for the Kangaroos, but it was a wonderful day in terms of the cause that we were supporting. It was good to see Jim there ebullient, excited, inspirational as ever, even though he was going through his continued battle with cancer. The Prime Minister said at the time that Reach is about inspiring young people and nobody does it better than Jim Stynes. That is absolutely true.

Jim Stynes was determined to give something back to the game, to the community and to the country that he had come to love. He showed great leadership in everything that he did. He became president of the Melbourne Football Club, his own club, and he did it at a very difficult time, in 2008, when the club was broke. There were all sorts of discussions and predictions about its future. In three years he was able to reduce its debt and get its books balanced again. During that time also the club underwent some coaching crises. He saw that through as well. But at the same time as all that was happening he was fighting his own battle with cancer.

He was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame, he was Victorian of the Year three times and he also was awarded an Order of Australia. Whilst today we mourn the fact that the battle that he so bravely faced he lost, the way he fought it defined him in so many ways. It was about determination, courage, resilience and openness, fearful of nothing. As Jim's wife, Sam, said, Jim's lesson is that life is to be challenged and treasured. He met every challenge and he is treasured. His contribution will never be forgotten. I offer my sincerest condolences to Samantha and the children, Matisse and Tiernan, and the Stynes family.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Melbourne Football Club song begins:

It’s a grand old flag, it’s a high flying flag,

It’s the emblem for me and for you,

It’s the emblem of the team we love,

The team of the Red and the Blue.

Today that flag, that emblem, is very much at half-mast. Today all Melbourne supporters, Australian Football League followers, the sporting world and people right across Australia and Ireland are mourning the passing of Jim Stynes. It is not often a footballer has condolence motions delivered in the Australian parliament, with the Prime Minister making the first of the tributes. Jim Stynes was, however, more than just a regular footy player—much, much more. It is not often our society is blessed to have in its presence and then be robbed by the taking away of someone of the calibre of Jim Stynes.

At 45 years of age Jim Stynes has gone far too soon, yet not without leaving a huge footprint on his adopted land. Dublin born Jim Stynes was one of Australia's best-known and most loved sporting figures. He was a youth worker, a businessman, a three-time Victorian of the Year recipient in 2001, 2003 and 2011. He was Melburnian of the Year in 2010 and was honoured with an Order of Australia medal in 2007. Both on and off the football field he possessed optimism and willpower. He was inspirational, dedicated and strong. His total of appearances, 264, is among the most in the proud history of the club which predates the drawing up of the rules of the game in 1859. Stynes won the Brownlow Medal in 1991 and he won four club best and fairest awards. His resilience is highlighted by the fact that he played 244 games in a row, the most by any player in the history of the AFL/Victorian Football League, which dates back to 1897. He needed this resilience in his fight against his terminal cancer, which was diagnosed in 2009. In 2003 Stynes was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame. There could not have been a more popular choice. The Jim Stynes Medal is awarded by the AFL to the best Australian player in the International Rules series. Stynes's name was also used in the inaugural International Australian Football Youth Tournament.

Certainly in the Riverina, the Australian Rules heartland, there are many today who are mourning the premature death of this fantastic and warm human being. Chris Daniher, who will again be lining up for his beloved Ungarie in the Northern Riverina League at age 46 this coming season, remembered Jim Stynes as 'a competitive bloke.' 'He was very friendly, upfront, honest, a really nice fellow,' Daniher, of Essendon fame, said to me tonight. I know Paul Kelly from Wagga Wagga, the Brownlow Medallist of 1995 and former Sydney Swans captain, will also be deeply saddened by Jim's passing.

Following Stynes's 1998 retirement from the game he loved so much and which he contributed so greatly to, he took on the role of an anti-racism officer within the AFL. He became Melbourne Football Club chairman and it was his wonderful personality, his magnificent drive, which helped enormously improve the club's debt woes. He also put many hours into his youth organisation, the Reach Foundation, which has as its goal to enable every young person to have the support and the self-belief they need to fulfil their potential, and to dare to dream. He served on an advisory board, including the Victorian government's suicide task force, and co-wrote children's self-help books.

A loving husband to Samantha and father to Matisse and Tiernan, Jim Stynes was truly, truly a remarkable person. His mantra was simple: 'I love making a difference.' And he certainly did just that, every day and in every way.

Every heart beats true for the Red and the Blue

As we sing this song to you…

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

Keep your eye on the Red and the Blue.

Jim Stynes, thanks for the memories. May he rest in peace.

Geoff Lyons (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to 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.

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

I join with the member for Bass in expressing my condolence on behalf of the people of Gippsland for the family and friends of Jim Stynes, who died today at the age of 45. There have been a lot of kind words expressed in this House already today in relation to Jim and I hope that Sam, his wife, and two young children, Matisse and Tiernan, can take comfort in the days and years ahead.

It is only fitting that this parliament pays tribute to an extraordinary Australian, a man who lived an extraordinary life and was quite an extraordinary man himself, although he was an adopted Australian, as we have already heard here this evening. Jim was born in Dublin and, like many of the Irish, in fact just about every Irish person I have ever met, he was a man of great passions, enormous passions. He was brought to Australia in the mid-1980s as part of Ron Barassi's experiment to recruit Irish footballers. He became a trail-blazer for others who followed in his footsteps. It is in that context that I reflect also on the tragic death only a couple of years ago of Sean Wight, who was one of Jim's great playing partners in the Melbourne Demons during the 80s and 90s. He was actually Scottish born but came here as part of the Irish experiment and was a terrific footballer alongside Jim during that era of the Melbourne Demons. His life was also taken tragically too early when he died of lung cancer a couple of years ago.

Jim went on to play 264 games over 11 years for the Melbourne Football Club.

Ms Marino interjecting—

The member for Forrest quite rightly comments that that is incredible. To put together 264 games in 11 short years is an incredible effort in the modern era of an Australian Rules footballer. We have just heard the member for Bass—and we have heard from other speakers—say that he actually played 244 continuous games. In the rough and tumble of professional sport, that is a remarkable effort for any footballer. It was not because Jim Stynes had the luck of the Irish, not by any stretch—you do need to be fortunate to avoid major injuries which are incapacitating and can force you out of the game—but because he was prepared to play injured. He played many times when he was injured. That is the mark of the man and the determination to not let down his team mates, to be part of something, which is what is great about the Australian Rules football community. He would get himself up and do everything he possibly could to make sure he could play on any given Saturday, when others may have succumbed to those injuries. It is that same resilience and determination that Jim took from his football career that he took into his latest fight, which tragically ended today with his death, way too early.

As someone who met Jim only once in my previous life as a journalist, I am not in a position to comment too much on his personal life. But I am in a position to comment on his public life and the way that he has been able to touch so many lives not only through his involvement in sport but also through his latter-day involvement through the Reach Foundation and his work with young people in the community. As someone who does not barrack for the Melbourne Demons, I think I am more objective than most. Jim Stynes was not the most talented footballer to ever pull on a boot, but he was a player who probably had more determination and resilience than most. I think that is testament to the fact that he managed to play 244 games in a row. He was certainly good enough to win a Brownlow medal. They do not hand out Brownlow medals on the back of packets of cornflakes; you have to earn your Brownlow medal and Jim certainly earned his.

One night on the Melbourne footy show there was a joke. I hope it is not in poor taste, but I will try tonight to remember it to the best of my ability. It was towards the end of Jim's 200-odd games in a row. He might have played 220 or 230 games in a row. The joke went something like: 'Jim Stynes was injured on the weekend—in fact, he died on Monday, was cremated on Tuesday, but he'll be right to play on Saturday.' In an irreverent sense it was the Melbourne football show's way of paying respect to someone who was a great man and a great Australian Rules footballer—the fact that he would always find a way. Somehow, they would patch him together with tape or whatever they might have been able to do in those days and get him out in the field. Whatever happened, if he turned up to play, when he crossed the line he was part of the team and ready to make his contribution.

Sadly, Jim was taken from us way too soon. But I think as we reflect tonight in this place, and I am sure in the days and weeks and months and years ahead, his legacy will be great not only around the Melbourne Football Club and around the Australian Rules football community but in the broader Victorian and Australian communities. I think the term 'champion' is used too loosely in modern-day sport. Jim Stynes was a champion whose ability on the field was more than matched by his ability and his efforts off the field. His contribution to his adopted country cannot be measured in the years he lived but, as I said earlier, in the lives he touched.

As a footballer, I think he was someone who provided an extraordinary role model to young people growing up in the game not just to his team mates but the kids at Auskick and at other clubs, who would look at this bloke and think: 'Well, if he can make it, perhaps there is a chance for me as well.' He was not necessarily the most accomplished looking footballer—at times, he was a bit ungainly—but certainly someone who made the most out of every bit of ability that he had. I think that is a lesson that a lot of young people can take from the career of Jim Stynes on the football field.

Off the football field he devoted his life to helping young Australians through his contribution to the Reach Foundation. In 1994 he co-founded the Reach Foundation. For those who are not familiar with it, the Reach Foundation is a non-profit, non-denominational organisation which is committed to supporting young people between eight and 18 years of age. Reach and Stynes worked together to encourage teenagers to realise their potential and discover their purpose through being made to feel valued and special in a positive and supportive learning environment. Jim went on to receive numerous awards off the football field. His work with Reach was recognised, as a recipient of the Melbournian of the Year Award in 2010, as a recipient of the Order of Australia and a recipient of a Churchill Fellowship in 2007. He was also recognised as the Victorian of the Year. By any measure, his has been a remarkable life in just 45 years. That is without even going to the fact that, when his club called for him again—when the Melbourne Football Club was faced with desperate times—Jim answered that call and served as president during perhaps one of the most turbulent times in the club's history. He brought to that position his enormous passion, which I referred to earlier, and his capacity to involve others in his work. Under his leadership I would have to say that the Melbourne Football Club earned back the respect of the Australian Rules football public.

In 2009 news first broke that Jim was sick, having been diagnosed with melanoma cancer, and the football world rallied behind him. It did not matter who you barracked for at that time. Jim was an icon of Australian Rules and his personality and his contribution to the game transcended club loyalties. This is one of the most parochial sports of all in the Australian community. If you barrack for Carlton you hate Collingwood—

Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Everyone hates Collingwood!

Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Regional Transport) Share this | Link to 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.

Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also rise to note the passing of Jim Stynes. Sadly, Jim Stynes passed away earlier today at his home at the early age of 45. Jim endured a public 2½-year battle with cancer. As the member for Gippsland has said, Jim was born in Dublin, moving to Australia at the age of 18 as part of the Melbourne Football Club's Irish experiment, which aimed to recruit Gaelic footballers for the AFL. Jim became a regular with the Melbourne Demons by the midpoint of the 1987 season. But in the preliminary final of that year, with only four seconds to go, he gave away a 15-metre free kick by running across the mark. This resulted in Hawthorn scoring the winning goal and taking the match. I suppose some of my colleagues here were glad that at least it was not Collingwood that won!

Jim's fortunes did turn around and in 1991 he won the Brownlow Medal, the game's highest individual honour. It must be noted that Jim was the first internationally raised player to win that award. In addition to his Brownlow Medal, Jim won four best and fairest awards with Melbourne, equalling the club record, playing an AFL record of 244 consecutive games. He was also twice selected in the all-Australian side. It is recorded that Jim represented Melbourne in every official game for 11 years, with a total of 264 games across the seasons 1987 to 1998.

In 1994 Jim, along with film director Paul Currie, founded the Reach Foundation. The foundation's aim was to teach young people life skills and to give young people the support, self-belief and encouragement needed to fulfil their potential. The aim of the foundation was, in part, motivated by Jim's own teenage experience. He had attended camps back in his home country which were taught in the Irish language and, although encapsulating a physical education focus, additionally they were driven by a philosophy of education for life. The Reach Foundation runs programs nationally in schools and communities, which aim to 'improve young people's self- belief and develop resilience and emotional awareness'. Programs are run by young people aged 15 to 25 for young people aged 10 to 18, with over 60,000 taking part across the country every year. Jim remained active on the board of Reach even during the time he battled his cancer.

Although Jim retired from football in 1998, he did not lose that footy love, becoming president of the Demons in 2008 at a time when the club was in the midst of serious decline. He was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Jim Stynes Medal is awarded to the best Australian player in the International Rules series each year. Not only is Jim remembered for these AFL achievements, he was twice named Victorian of the Year, in 2001 and 2003, and in 2007 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his work with youth and his contribution to Australian football. In 2010 Jim was named Melburnian of the Year and in 2011 the Australian Catholic University awarded Jim their highest honour, Doctor of the University, in recognition of his service to the community, particularly in the areas of youth depression, homelessness and suicide. An incredible man, and he achieved so much in such a short life.

There has been much written already today about the incredible Jim Stynes. Two comments caught my attention. Mike Sheahan from the Herald Sun said:

Irish-born Jim Stynes was one of the most extraordinary figures in Australian life

I have to agree with that. I believe that Martin Flanagan in the Age was correct when he stated that Jim was 'more than a great sportsman'.

Jim also had a connection with the Northern Territory. He visited the NT a number of times and was reported to have strongly supported Aboriginal players. He held a special connection with the Yuendumu community, which is north-west of Alice Springs. As the Herald Sun reported, Stynes was one of six speakers at the MCG, including AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou, to help launch The Liam Jurrah Story, a book by Bruce Hearn Mackinnon detailing Jurrah's rise from playing barefoot on a red soil oval to taking the AFL mark of the year. Stynes had twice visited the Yuendumu community, just 300 kilometres west of Alice Springs, an experience he regards as one of the most inspiring in his life.

Definitely, his story is better than mine. I used to claim my story as a point of difference, but it can't compare with where Liam Jurrah has come from.

Said Stynes, who proudly wore his Melbourne scarf as always:

At least when I came here there was a similar culture and the spirit of our games was similar. For Liam it was so different, he'd only just put on a pair of boots. … I have been there a couple of times and to meet the whole community was so eye-opening for me. I was so privileged to be given that chance and to be given their warmth of welcome.

Former Essendon player, Tim Watson, also spoke of the recent trip Stynes made to the Northern Territory in giving his tribute to Jimmy Stynes. He said:

I think, perhaps, he did his best work away from the football field. He became a leader in the community, the work that he's done with the Reach organisation and the compassion that he's shown through that.

I saw him firsthand in Yuendumu, when he went up there in the Northern Territory to visit Liam Jurrah's family. I saw him for a couple of days there and he was struggling with his health at that time and I was just amazed by the bravery and the courage he displayed up there.

It was hot, it was dusty, he didn't have to be up there, but he wanted to be a part of the contingent that went up there to show the community that Melbourne cared about Liam Jurrah and about Aboriginal people up there as well.

He had an enormous effect on mankind. There's going to be a lot of young people out there today that owe the direction in their life that they've taken to some work that Jim Stynes may have done.

Another connection to the Northern Territory is legendary Darwin-born AFL player Andrew McLeod, who played for the Crows, and is considered by many as one of the greatest Indigenous footballers of all time. Andrew was awarded the Jim Stynes Medal in 2005 after co-captaining the Australian International Football team against Ireland. My deepest sympathies go to Jim's wife, Sam, and their two children, Matisse and Tiernan, and to Jim's parents, Tess and Brian, and their families, as well as to the many Australians who will be mourning the loss of a true legend in Jim Stynes.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How do we define the life well lived? How do we explain a life so well loved as that of this particular man, Jim Stynes? I think the answer can be found in a simple proposition: generosity of spirit and enthusiasm of purpose. There have been of course many great footballers and many people in our society who have given of themselves, but it is hard to identify almost any other who has combined that sense of enthusiasm on the field with a generosity of spirit and passion for life off the field. That is what makes this story such a great Australian story, because it is the immigrant, the adventurer in the sense of somebody willing to participate in all the elements of life. It is the truly generous heart which defines, for me as an observer, the Jim Stynes story. I think that that is why there is such an extraordinary sense of empathy amongst Australians from all walks of life, Victorians in particular and, unusually, the young. This is a story which has gripped the young. The question is, how can a generation which is often dismissed as being so cynical, I think unfairly, be so engaged by such a story? I think it is because they cut through the silliness. They can see authenticity. They can see generosity. They can see a sense of bigness of purpose, which is beyond merely the self. That is what defined this person.

Of course Jim Stynes was best known as a footballer but in the hierarchy of things, in my view, first and foremost he was a father, a dad, a husband. He was a great family man with Samantha, Matisse and Tiernan—his wife, his daughter and his son. That is the greatest loss, as it would be in any of our circumstances. Beyond that, beyond the familial relationships Jim had with those closest to him, he was a figure who gave to those most in need within our community. That is his most profound contribution to our society. Sure, he was a great footballer—a Brownlow medallist, a grand finalist, a four-times club champion, and an All Australian team member. He is the game's record holder for the most consecutive games—244. It was as a social worker who came from the privilege of having been one of the leading AFL players that he really won his stripes with the community. He was much loved for what occurred on the field but he was even more loved for the fact that he did not seek the great prizes which came with fame and with privilege—he took the opportunity and he turned it into a platform for converting young lives.

This was not some sort of dilettante; this was a person who was generous to the extreme and whose greatest joy in his post-football career was working in Indigenous communities, working with disadvantaged youth, working with each young person to give them the sense that their lives mattered, that each life had a sense of majestic possibility. The public knew that. The public got this guy. They could see that he was able to give of himself in a way which lifted others. That was the essence of what made this a special person who was elevated in the public's mind not out of a sense of flair, not out of a sense of talent but out of a sense of true generosity of spirit and the ability to transform the lives of others. It is the Reach Foundation, it is the personal engagement, it is the work with Indigenous communities that mean that this is not the mere passing of a person who had achieved fame or sporting prowess but the passing of somebody who has transformed individual lives through his sheer sense that he could give to others his own sense of purpose. Because of that we recognise a life which transcended what was possible for a young boy growing up in Dublin.

On the field Jim is the game's record holder for consecutive games. To me, that is a great achievement—to play for 11 years through broken ribs and extraordinary injuries. It is the sense of Tennyson's Ulysses—to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. It was a great life. We all are here in this place engaged with young people who look to move beyond the ordinary, who look to see something that is genuinely inspiring. In this case they found. There are a lot of disappointments out there when young people look around at the lives of the older citizens of society, and then there are moments that glisten—and this is what makes the Jim Stynes story so great. For that we are thankful. We give our thanks to his family for the time they allowed him to be with the broader community. We are proud of what he achieved and he will live on in the Australian Rules game. His name will be remembered long after many of the others, and many of us, have faded.

Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today we lost a truly great Australian and, as Mike Sheahan said in today's Herald Sun, 'one of the most extraordinary figures in Australian life'—we lost Mr Jim Stynes. As the member for Flinders, who spoke just before me, so eloquently said, Mr Jim Stynes was not just a footballer, he was not just a husband, he was not just a father; he was an extraordinary figure who gave so much to our broader community. So many people connected with him in a very personal way. In his passing today, which came unexpectedly for so many people, there was an enormous and almost instantaneous outpouring of emotion for him.

Mr Stynes is best known for his achievements on the field as a footballer. He came to this country when he was 18. He responded to an advertisement placed in Irish newspapers looking for young people who might be interested in playing Australian Rules football. He came out to Australia and joined, as we know, the Melbourne Football Club. He was a natural talent and went on to have an extraordinary career. He holds the record for the most consecutive games played—244. He was also of course a Brownlow Medal winner—the greatest prize there is in Australian Rules football. As a result of this, he became Victorian of the Year in 2001 and in 2004. Later on, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia. His career itself spanned all of 11 years. He fought tirelessly for the Melbourne Football Club. He played 264 games in total and kicked 130 goals over those 11 years. He got through many of those games with sheer determination—through his injuries, through the broken ribs, through the other obstacles he had to overcome in order to stay on the football field and battle it out for his beloved Melbourne Demons.

But football was just one part of his life. That is how we got to know the man. We got to know his spirit on the football ground, but in some respects that is the least important part of who Jim Stynes was. He was of course a husband and a father. He would probably have said that that was the most important role in his life. I do not know, but I am sure he would say that. For me, being a husband and a father is of course my most important role, despite being a member of parliament and having other responsibilities. From what I understand, Jim was an exceptionally generous husband and father and an exceptionally loving one.

We knew him outside of his football career and outside of being a husband and father for his tremendous contribution in helping others. He established the youth program, Reach, in 1994 to promote mental health and wellbeing in young people. Since its beginnings, Reach is credited with bringing thousands of young lives back from the brink. As a person who has been championing youth mental health in my local community, I certainly take my hat off to Jim Stynes for the tireless work he did in helping so many young people overcome depression and other mental illnesses.

As the member for Flinders pointed out, in addition to the work he did and in addition to the exceptional football prowess that he had, we had an immediate connection with the man because of his character. That character was one of authenticity at its best. People could immediately identify that this guy was fair dinkum. He was not seeking the limelight. He did not seek media coverage, as we sometimes see with celebrities these days—far from it. If anything he was working behind the scenes. He was out there in remote locations working with Aboriginal youngsters. He was there working on youth mental health issues before that became a prominent issue, as it is today. He was doing all of this extraordinary work because, I think, deep down it was core to who he was. I think that the Australian people—young people in particular—can see that, they can sense that, they can smell that and they can love it. Today in a sometimes cynical world, I think that the Australian public and particularly the Victorian public saw in this person a deeply principled man and a deeply caring man and a fair dinkum man who cared for them and who cared for the community and who worked tirelessly for them. It is truly a very sad day for Melbourne, for Victoria and for Australia with the loss of Jim Stynes. A truly great man, we will miss him greatly but of course the people who will miss him the most are his family and I pay my respects to his wife Sam, his children Matisse and Tiernan and his wider family. My thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult time and I wish them all the very best.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the fine words of the member for Aston in his moving tribute to Jim Stynes. A lot of issues have been touched on today and tonight and I would like to go to just one of them—Jim Stynes's ability to deal with adversity; his mental toughness. I think it should stand as his legacy, stand as an inspiration to all of us both here in Australia, his adopted country, and in Ireland where he was also loved and where he was also very much an inspiration.

The first aspect of that mental toughness was shown through his career and his ability to play with injury. For those of us who know Australian Rules football and have played it, it is an incredibly tough game. People come at you from 360 degrees. There is no protection behind you, in front of you, beside you. You can get hit any which way. It requires you to play with injury and Jim Stynes did that and set the record for the number of games played consecutively. Toward the end of his career he became legendary for it so much so that on The Footy Show, which is a legend in Victoria in particular, Sam Newman, the compere, at times used to joke about Jim Stynes's ability to play on. On one memorable Thursday night when the teams were being read out, Sam Newman said, 'And Jim Stynes has had his leg amputated this week but he will still be lining up for the Demons'. That lovely little bit of humour just summed up what Jim Stynes was like. He played with broken ribs. The member for Aston mentioned the fact that he had to pass a fitness test and they got three of the toughest players in the Melbourne squad to ram into him over a period of time. One of them was Rodney Grinter—one of the toughest characters to put on a Demons jumper. Jim Stynes got through the test, and I think his coach said after the game, when there was evidence of the pain that Stynes had been through, that on this occasion Jim probably put one over them.

Jim's mental toughness was absolutely inspirational. It was also there when he had to deal with adversity on the field. He had something happen to him that all of us who have played Australian Rules, and any sport, dread. It was a preliminary final—playing to make the grand final; playing to win the game that gets you a chance to play for the premiership that everyone strives for in Australian Rules football. Jim made a mistake—he ran across the mark; there was a 15-metre penalty and the Hawthorn player—Gary Buckenara—kicked the goal that put Hawthorn into the grand final. If he had not had that 15-metre penalty he would have been too far out and would not have been able to kick the goal. Jim had to deal with those demons. How did he do it? Instead of saying, 'This is all too hard; I can't deal with it; the psychological scars are too great,' he said, 'No—I am going to learn from this and I am going to be an even better player.' And he became an even better player. If you look at his final records, after that incident occurred, he was one of Melbourne's best players consistently in every single final that he played in after that event.

Legend has it that he was bailed up on a train in Paris by an Australian backpacker in the summer after that incident. The backpacker said to him: 'You're Jim Stynes, aren't you. You ran across the mark and cost Melbourne a place in a grand final.' Jim became absolutely determined that he was going to put that behind him and, through his inspiration and leadership, was going to demonstrate that you can overcome that type of adversity. And that is what he did.

Those feats on the football field were writ large with his battle with cancer. I think it was there for all of us to see: the mental toughness that he showed in dealing with that illness. He was not going to let it get him down and he was not going to let it defeat him. He tried absolutely everything he could—some of the more radical things you can do to try to overcome cancer, some of the normal things you can do. He tried it all because he was absolutely determined not to let this illness beat him. He fought it like he fought with the pain to deal with those injuries that he played with. He fought it like he fought to play with those mental scars that he had from that one mistake that he made in that preliminary final. That is how he took on his battle with cancer, and he was absolutely determined to make sure it would not get to him, so much so that he was prepared to take on the presidency of Melbourne and to continue in that role while he played that battle, because he did not want to let his football club down. He fought and fought and fought. He was, in no other words, an absolute inspiration.

People have touched on his role with Reach, which he set up after he left the Melbourne Football Club, and what it did for young people. Members tonight have talked about what he did with young Indigenous Australians. Everything that he did he did with the best intentions, he did to the best of his ability and he did with that toughness which said, 'Whatever role I take on I am going to make sure that I cut through and that I deliver.'

It is incredibly sad that in his battle with cancer, ultimately the cancer won. Today in this place and as a Richmond supporter who has sung this song for the football club that I play for, I think we could say that, from what we have heard this afternoon and tonight, every heart beats true for the red and the blue. Jim, we sing today this song to you. To Sam, Matisse and Tiernan, our thoughts and prayers are with you.