Jim Stynes (23 April 1966 - 20 March 2012) was a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne in the AFL and was later president of the Melbourne Football Club for several years.
One of the earliest and most successful examples of the "Irish Experiment", Stynes was recruited from Dublin in 1984 and played several years for the Demons' juniors (including a stint on secondment to VFA club Prahran) before making his senior debut early in 1987. He was a member of Melbourne's losing 1988 premiership side, and had a career-best year in 1991 when he won the Brownlow Medal, as well as the Keith "Bluey" Truscott Medal as Melbourne's best and fairest and selection in the All-Australian side. Stynes was an All-Australian again in 1993, and won three straight Truscott Medals between 1995 and 1997. He also set a league record by playing 244 consecutive games between 1987 and 1998. Stynes retired at the end of the 1998 season, having played 264 AFL games.
In retirement Stynes was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame and named in Melbourne's Team of the Century. He was also named Victorian of the Year twice, in 2001 and 2003, for his work in youth development, and received an Order of Australia in 2007. Stynes was appointed as Melbourne's President in 2008 and championed the club's recovery from sizeable debt. He announced in July 2009 that he had been diagnosed with cancer, stepping back from his duties as president for a time due to his treatment. Stynes resigned in February 2012, and passed away on 20 March 2012, at the age of 45. He was given a state funeral by the Victorian government.
Younger brother Brian Stynes played two games for Melbourne in 1992 before returning to Ireland.
References[]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Stynes