Jim StynesPrint Page 
In 2010, the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) announced an expansion to the list of sporting statues placed around the MCG precinct in partnership with Australia Post. The Australia Post Avenue of Legends project aimed to place a minimum of five statues in Yarra Park, extending from the Gate 2 MCC members entrance up the avenue towards Wellington Parade.
Stynes played a dominant 1991 season, setting a club record for the most marks in a season and easily won the Brownlow Medal. He continued to be one of his side's best in the next few years, winning three more best and fairest awards.He played 244 consecutive games of VFL/AFL football, beating the record of 204 set by Richmond's Jack Titus more than fifty years before. After helping Melbourne to a surprise finals berth in 1998, he announced his retirement. He played his last game of competitive football in the International Rules series of that year.
After his retirement Stynes was ruck coach at the Melbourne Club from 2000 until 2002, and continued his work with the Reach Youth Foundation he had formed in 1994.
In 2000 he was named Victorian of the Year in recognition of help the foundation had provided to more than 120,000 people since its formation. He also won the official Victorian of the Year award in 2003 and in 2007 he received the Order of Australia (OAM)
In 2008 with the club in financial trouble, Stynes became club president. In 2009, doctors had found a tumour on his brain and that he would be forced to undergo radiation therapy. He returned to the top job but continued to battle the disease, eventually being forced to retire as a director and president in early 2012 as his condition worsened.
Stynes succumbed to his illness soon after, leaving behind an amazing legacy both on and off field. In a rare honour for a sportsman his life was celebrated in a state funeral. The AFL created the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award in his honour.
Location
| Address: | Brunton Avenue, Outside Gate 2, Melbourne Cricket Ground, East Melbourne, 3002 |
|---|---|
| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -37.820646 Long: 144.982155 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Sculpture |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Sport |
| Artist: | Lis Johnson (Barkers Creek, VIC) |
Dedication
| Approx. Monument Dedication Date: | September-2014 |
|---|
Jim Stynes
Jim Stynes is one of the most inspiring figures in the history of Australian sport.
Arriving from Ireland in 1984, aged 18, he joined Melbourne Football Club`s ambitious international recruitment program, having never played Australian football.
During a 264-game VFL/AFL career with Melbourne, he played a record 244 consecutive games from 1987 - 98. His supreme athleticism redefined the role of the modern-day ruckman.
He became the first non-Australian-born player to claim the Brownlow medal (1991) and won four club best and fairests. In 2000, he was named in the Melbourne`s Team of the Century and was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2003.
A tribute to our sporting legends
A gift to a sporting nation from Australia Post
Sculptor : Lis Johnson
