The following note was sent to my Demon barracking daughter today from a friend all the way from Dublin. Sorry I couldn't work out how to attach it to the photo. I'm fairly  computer illiterate I'm afraid.

 

To my Melbourne Demon friends, how awesome is this? Someone drove up to Jim Stynes headstone in the Dublin hills to give him a scarf for the week ahead. He is not forgotten. He was such a great man.Go the Dees! 

Loved the way in which big Jimmy embraced the MFC and the inspirational way he played, conducted his life and encouraged personal growth others within and beyond the footy club to bring out the best in themselves.

I probably may have only ever fleetingly met Jim in person at MFC after match functions at the Demons Club back in the day (I can't remember any particular encounter, but odds are I was probably momentarily there when he was as some point).  However I read Jimmy's autobiography when I was around the 18 - 20 year age group myself and it left a lasting impression on me. 

In one chapter, he tells the story about a training run he did in Ireland soon after the 87 prelim debarkle.  The story goes that it was typically Ireland, cold and windy as anything and here is big Jim doing this training run up some mountain in Ireland, wanting to stop and give up, but keeping on going by willing himself to the next bend in the track or next little rise or whatever,  but never giving up and eventually making it to the top.  I used that analogy as inspiration throughout my own humble amature sporting career and hard times in life - if Jimmy didn't give up climbing that huge mountain, surely I can overcome what's in front of me, I'd tell myself.

My youngest sister attended a number of Jimmy's Reach Youth functions as a troubled young teenager and I know that left a huge positive impression on her.

I know that Jimmy's time as a football administrator isn't necessarily looked on as favourably as some that followed him in the Roos, Jackson, Bartlett era, but as I understand it, he still achieved several great things like wiping a bunch of debt and getting the club moving forward with spirit and a sense of purpose after it lost it's way in those senses in the years that preceeeded his tenure.  And let's not forget that the big man was battling cancer and still giving his time and energy to the club.  From the way he talks, it's also clear he left a big impression on Max Gawn, so perhaps that's part of the genius of the team as it currently stands right there.

Hearing and reading the things that the Stynes family have said in the press over the years and in recient weeks, it's clear their blood bleeds red and blue to the core as well.  If we do pull off the win on Saturday, I hope it brings the Stynes family great joy and he and his contribution is acknowledged publicly and prominently amoung the jubilation (which I'm sure it would be).

Edited September 20, 20214 yr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

19 minutes ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Loved the way in which big Jimmy embraced the MFC and the inspirational way he played, conducted his life and encouraged personal growth others within and beyond the footy club to bring out the best in themselves.

I probably may have only ever fleetingly met Jim in person at MFC after match functions at the Demons Club back in the day (I can't remember any particular encounter, but odds are I was probably momentarily there when he was as some point).  However I read Jimmy's autobiography when I was around the 18 - 20 year age group myself and it left a lasting impression on me. 

In one chapter, he tells the story about a training run he did in Ireland soon after the 87 prelim debarkle.  The story goes that it was typically Ireland, cold and windy as anything and here is big Jim doing this training run up some mountain in Ireland, wanting to stop and give up, but keeping on going by willing himself to the next bend in the track or next little rise or whatever,  but never giving up and eventually making it to the top.  I used that analogy as inspiration throughout my own humble amature sporting career and hard times in life - if Jimmy didn't give up climbing that huge mountain, surely I can overcome what's in front of me, I'd tell myself.

My youngest sister attended a number of Jimmy's Reach Youth functions as a troubled young teenager and I know that left a huge positive impression on her.

I know that Jimmy's time as a football administrator isn't necessarily looked on as favourably as some that followed him in the Roos, Jackson, Bartlett era, but as I understand it, he still achieved several great things like wiping a bunch of debt and getting the club moving forward with spirit and a sense of purpose after it lost it's way in those senses in the years that preceeeded his tenure.  And let's not forget that the big man was battling cancer and still giving his time and energy to the club.  From the way he talks, it's also clear he left a big impression on Max Gawn, so perhaps that's part of the genius of the team as it currently stands right there.

Hearing and reading the things that the Stynes family have said in the press over the years and in recient weeks, it's clear their blood bleeds red and blue to the core as well.  If we do pull off the win on Saturday, I hope it brings the Stynes family great joy and he and his contribution is acknowledged publicly and prominently amoung the jubilation (which I'm sure it would be).

Beautifully put Rodney.  A great article on a strong strong human being. Let's do it for Jimmy.

20 hours ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Loved the way in which big Jimmy embraced the MFC and the inspirational way he played, conducted his life and encouraged personal growth others within and beyond the footy club to bring out the best in themselves.

I probably may have only ever fleetingly met Jim in person at MFC after match functions at the Demons Club back in the day (I can't remember any particular encounter, but odds are I was probably momentarily there when he was as some point).  However I read Jimmy's autobiography when I was around the 18 - 20 year age group myself and it left a lasting impression on me. 

In one chapter, he tells the story about a training run he did in Ireland soon after the 87 prelim debarkle.  The story goes that it was typically Ireland, cold and windy as anything and here is big Jim doing this training run up some mountain in Ireland, wanting to stop and give up, but keeping on going by willing himself to the next bend in the track or next little rise or whatever,  but never giving up and eventually making it to the top.  I used that analogy as inspiration throughout my own humble amature sporting career and hard times in life - if Jimmy didn't give up climbing that huge mountain, surely I can overcome what's in front of me, I'd tell myself.

My youngest sister attended a number of Jimmy's Reach Youth functions as a troubled young teenager and I know that left a huge positive impression on her.

I know that Jimmy's time as a football administrator isn't necessarily looked on as favourably as some that followed him in the Roos, Jackson, Bartlett era, but as I understand it, he still achieved several great things like wiping a bunch of debt and getting the club moving forward with spirit and a sense of purpose after it lost it's way in those senses in the years that preceeeded his tenure.  And let's not forget that the big man was battling cancer and still giving his time and energy to the club.  From the way he talks, it's also clear he left a big impression on Max Gawn, so perhaps that's part of the genius of the team as it currently stands right there.

Hearing and reading the things that the Stynes family have said in the press over the years and in recient weeks, it's clear their blood bleeds red and blue to the core as well.  If we do pull off the win on Saturday, I hope it brings the Stynes family great joy and he and his contribution is acknowledged publicly and prominently amoung the jubilation (which I'm sure it would be).

I also loved Jimmy's autobiography, might be time to revisit! One part that stuck with me was also in the aftermath of the '87 prelim. Jimmy was travelling somewhere in Europe I think, enjoying the offseason and trying to get away from that nightmare moment. Just when he thought he'd escaped it all, he bumped into a Melbourne supporter or maybe just a footy fan in some really random place and they brought up the incident. It was then he realised that he could never escape what had happened and that he needed to embrace it to move on with his career and life (I'm a bit sketchy on the details because it's been a while, but that was the gist).

His is still footy's greatest story, in my biased opinion.

Definitely one of the great footy stories, there's a 30 for 30 episode there just waiting to be made

These photos were taken in 2018 during the finals series.  Wonderful sentiment.

Edited September 21, 20214 yr by BillyBeane