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Jim Stynes of Melbourne spectates during the AFL Round 09 match between the Melbourne Demons and Port Adelaide Power at TIO Stadium, Darwin.
It was back in about 1982 that Ron Barassi and Barry Richardson headed to Ireland for what became known as the ‘Irish experiment’. They were seeking tall players who might be able to ‘convert’ to Australian Football.
Barassi was in the middle of his ‘failed’ five-year plan at Melbourne. However, the result of his at the time much derided ‘Irish experiment’ may have both saved Melbourne Football Club almost 30 years on and perhaps fully vindicated Barassi’s vision like no amount of fringe Irish rookie listed lads can in season 2010.
Two players in particular stood out in the early days. Sean Wight, of Scottish/Irish background, and one Jim Stynes.
Stynes came to Melbourne at the end of 1984. He played 1985 in the Melbourne Under 19s and 1986 at VFA club Prahran. By 1987 he started to make his way as an open age player at Melbourne.
Barassi’s tenure had come to an end two years earlier. Stynes was reserves best and fairest at Melbourne and was to make his senior debut. He conceded a critical 15m penalty in the ’87 preliminary final that allowed Hawthorn’s Gary Buckenara to slot the winning goal. However, Stynes had kicked off a 264 game career that would include a record 244 games straight as well as the 1991 Brownlow Medal.
At the end of his career he did not return ‘home’ to Ireland. Staying on in Australia he’s done some fine work both as an anti-racism officer at the AFL and with his youth charity ‘Reach Foundation’.
In more recent times, he has assumed the role of chairman of Melbourne Football Club. A club racked by debt and just over 10 years ago had voted it’s approval of a merger proposition with Hawthorn.
As reported in The Age, with a $5 million dollar debt, Stynes feared he would be Melbourne’s last president.
Alas, Stynes has been ailed by cancer and is battling the fight of his life. However, along the way, via a couple of ‘debt demolition’ events and sustain work and passion, he has seen the Melbourne FC debt wiped.
This weekend the 150-plus year old Melbourne Football Club – one of the richest historical pedigrees of a football club of any code anywhere in the world – and the club is right on track, debt free and taking on Hawthorn with the promise that a win would set the Dees up for a real chance at a tilt at September finals action.
Perhaps it required an outsider, an Irishman, to help Melbourne Football Club rediscover itself, its pride, its passion and to start to recover its place in the broader landscape of Australian sporting heritage. This club should never be permitted to wither, die or merge and must more than any other club retain its place and its name in and as Melbourne.
Australian Football is much the better for Ron Barassi’s ‘Irish experiment’. And to Jim Stynes, I’m sure we all wish you our best.
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