2. General information
James "Jim" Stynes OAM (23 April
1966 – 20 March 2012) was a
prominent Irish-born Australian
footballer who was best known for his
career as a professional Australian rules
football player and administrator. He
was also a philanthropist, charity worker
and writer.
3. Stynes was born in Dublin,
Ireland in Rathfarnham. Since a very
early age he began to play Gaelic
football. With the age of nine he played
at Ballyboden St Endas.
Stynes' first exposure to Australian rules
football was watching the 1980 film The
Club on television.
Stynes represented Dublin and in 1984 at
the age of eighteen, was on Dublin's
winning side in the All-Ireland Minor
Football Championship.
Early Life
4. Move to Australia
In 1984 Stynes responded to an
advertisement in his local paper placed by
the Melbourne Football Club that offered two
scholarships all expenses paid to play football
and attend university in Victoria, Australia.
The tall and skinny Jim Stynes was selected.
He debuted for the Melbourne under 19’s
team.
5. In 1987 he played in a night premiership side. He was
dropped after a poor performance; however, he returned
to the senior side later in the season against the Brisbane
Bears.
The next year, Melbourne made the Grand Final. Despite
being beaten by 96 points, Stynes was voted Melbourne's
best player of the match.
Stynes' best year came in 1991, playing a consistent
season he became favourite to win the Brownlow
Medal and did so with 25 five votes clear of any other
player.
VFL/AFL career
6. Honour and achievements
Individual Year
Brownlow medal 1991
Bluey medal 1991-1995-1996-1997
Leigh Matthew Trophy 1991
All-Australian 1991-1993
Herald Sun Player of the
Year
1991
Hall of Fame Inductee 2003
Team Year
Night Series Premiership 1987
7. The Reach Foundation
In 1994, Stynes co-founded The Reach
Foundation and became a prominent youth
worker in Victoria.
Reach believes that every young person
should have the support and self-belief they
need to fulfill their potential and dare to
dream.
A place where they can increase their self-
belief, discover who they are and recognize
that they are not alone.
8. Illness
On 2 July 2009, Stynes held a media
conference to inform the public that he had
developed cancer.
On 4 April 2010 it was revealed that his
condition had worsened and three days later
he had surgery for brain metastasis.
9. Ted Baillieu, the Premier of
Victoria described Stynes as "an
exceptional Victorian", and later offered
a state funeral to Stynes' family, which was
accepted.
Death Stynes died at his St Kilda home on 20
March 2012, aged 45. He was cremated,
and his ashes were scattered at a
"treasured spot" he chose before he died.
A commemoration was held prior
to Dublin's NFL match against Donegal,
both of which were held on the Saturday
after Stynes' death.
