AFL 2021: What Dees great Jim Stynes put ahead of his Brownlow Medal triumph

On the anniversary of his Brownlow Medal and the latest recipient of his Community Leadership Award, Jim Stynes’ biggest ever achievement has been revealed.

In his final days Melbourne great Jim Stynes told his wife Sam that his tireless work in the community meant more to him than the countless football laurels he had been awarded.

Almost a decade on from his passing in March 2012, Stynes’ passion for helping disadvantaged youth through his Reach Foundation and through other community endeavours is honoured by what has become one of the AFL’s most prestigious off-field awards.

This year marks the 10th occasion that the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award will be presented to the AFL or AFLW player who best demonstrates his or her values in their commitment to the community, helping others, and in making a difference on and off the field.

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Sam Ludbey-Stynes says her late husband would have been so proud of the award’s impact. Picture: Alex Coppel

Given Stynes won the 1991 Brownlow Medal — 30 years ago this week — it has always been appropriate that the Community Leadership Award is presented on the AFL’s night of nights.

His widow Sam Ludbey-Stynes said the Demons great would be “incredibly emotional” to know the award named in his honour has made such an impact since first awarded in 2012.

“One of the last things he said to me before he passed — when he was still able to communicate — was when you look back on your life, the thing that meant the most to him was family, and friends, and being a good human being, and helping people for the greater good,” Sam Ludbey-Stynes said.

“He would have been so proud of the award’s impact.”

Past winners of the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award have included Richmond’s Bachar Houli, Greater Western Sydney’s Stephen Coniglio, Melbourne’s Neville Jetta and Geelong’s Jimmy Bartel.

Dees great Jim Stynes in the changerooms after a VFL match in 1989.

This year’s four finalists are Collingwood’s Jordan Roughead, Port Adelaide’s Travis Boak, Geelong’s Georgie Rankin and Carlton’s Nicola Stevens.

Ludbey-Stevens said she had been inspired by the contribution made by this year’s finalists, saying their ability to give so much to the community during a pandemic had been especially important.

“It’s incredible to see what they have done, especially this year with Covid,” she said. “The ability of the players to still get out and do the work has been important for the community.”

“I am so impressed that they have gone through so much with their own playing careers and their own lives, with the impact that Covid has had on them, and their teams and their clubs.

“They have gone above and beyond to help the community, which is just so admirable.

Jim Stynes’ children Matiesse, 20, and Tiernan, 16, will be part of Sunday night’s presentation. Picture: Alex Coppel

“Jim also got a lot back personally from being able to help others when he was feeling well. When he was up and about, he always wanted to be back at the footy, back in the community and back at Reach, so I think these players nominated are pretty special people.”

The link between the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award and the Brownlow Media is special, especially as Jim’s children Matisse and Tiernan will be part of Sunday night’s presentation.

“It’s an amazing honour to get the award on Brownlow night,” Ludbey-Stynes said.

“There is probably a generation of young players who aren’t necessarily aware of Jim’s career and who he was because there is a new generation coming through. So it is good to have this award. There have been some very worthy winners over the last 10 years and I imagine that the award will just keep building and building.

“The clubs are getting more involved and the best part of the criteria is that the work doesn’t have to be flashy. It is all about working at grassroots level, it’s all about those who roll their sleeves up, no matter how big or small. It’s the meaning of it that matters most.”

The Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award showcases the impact our game can have in the community.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said: “Football delivers us some of our greatest role models and over the last 10 seasons the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award has showcased the impact our game can have in the community.”

“It is wonderful to acknowledge these four outstanding players and their contributions in 2021 and learn of their stories and celebrate their impact away from the football field.”

Sam Ludbey-Stynes, representing the Jim Stynes Foundation, is one of a panel of judges including Channel 7’s Luke Darcy, 3AW’s Neil Mitchell, the AFL’s executive general manager of football Andrew Dillon, AFL head of Government Relations/Corporate Social Responsibility Jude Donnelly and the MCC’s general manager of commercial operations/ partnerships Jennifer Watt.

“The AFL has been great, they have been fantastic with this award and view it as an important part of the AFL community,” Ludbey-Stynes said. “It’s pretty cool.”

THIS YEAR’S NOMINEES

JORDAN ROUGHEAD (COLLINGWOOD)

The Collingwood defender has long been a leader in the community, especially in the areas of the LGBTIQA+ community, climate action, youth homelessness and women’s sport.

He is an ambassador for Stand-Up Events, educating people on the impacts of homophobia, as well as participating in a Monash University research project into homophobia in sports clubs.

Roughead has highlighted climate change awareness in Frontrunners, Australian Conservation Foundation and as a Sporting Environmental Alliance ambassador.

He has been a long-time supporter, mentor and board member of Ladder, working to support youth homelessness.

He has also worked as an assistant coach in Collingwood’s AFLW program.

NICOLA STEVENS (CARLTON)

The Carlton AFLW has a personal connection to her work with Dementia Australia, given she is caring for her mother who has early onset dementia.

As an ambassador for the organisation, she has raised awareness for those suffering from the disease and provided support for carers.

She has supported fundraising events including Dementia Australia’s National Roadshow, the annual Memory Walk and Jog and was featured in a series of videos called ‘Teen Talk’.

Importantly, she has been supportive of families living with dementia, helped to recruit volunteers and to raise funds and awareness.

Travis Boak has been nominated for the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award this year.

TRAVIS BOAK (PORT ADELAIDE)

Losing his father Roger to cancer in 2005, the Port Adelaide star has devoted the past 11 years to supporting individuals and families affected by cancer.

As an ambassador for the Childhood Cancer Association and as a volunteer to the Michael Rice Centre for Haematology and Oncology (which he attends every two weeks), Boak has provided support and helped to raise much-needed funds.

Even during the Covid pandemic, he has managed to raise more than $20,000, while also initiating a charity partnership between the Childhood Cancer Association and Port Adelaide.

GEORGIE RANKIN

The Geelong AFLW player has worked with the Cats on a number of important initiatives, most notably involving inclusion and multiculturalism.

She is the AFLW face of the Sensory Zone at GMHBA Stadium for assisting people with sensory needs and disabilities, while helping the Cats’ yearly All-Abilities Clinic which helps young people with a disability to enjoy football.

Rankin has been involved in the Welcome to Geelong event that engages with those from a multicultural background and was the Cats’ representative at the Iftar dinner at Ramadan.

She has also assisted community programs such as Geelong’s GMHBA Healthy Heroes Grade 3&4 program, Grade 5&6 Leadership day, volunteers as a Next Generation coach and was part of a committee in designing the club’s AFLW Pride guernsey.

How Jim Stynes’ family will cheer on Dees

Jim Stynes’ widow Sam and their children Matisse and Tiernan have decked their house out in a sea of red and blue as their beloved Melbourne chases its first premiership in 57 years in Saturday week’s AFL grand final.

Almost a decade after the Demon legend’s passing, the Stynes family have been swept up in the emotion of the club’s resurgence.

The club that Stynes helped to save during one of its bleakest periods will take on Western Bulldogs in an all-Victorian decider at Perth Stadium.

While Sam Ludbey-Stynes and her kids won’t be there, they will watch the drama unfold on the biggest TV they can find in the house, immensely proud of the legacy Jim left as a Melbourne player and later as president.

The roar will be shared by Ludbey-Stynes’ husband Geoff Porz and his three kids, Alex, Sam and Zoe, who are also passionate Demons fans.

“We’re all mad Demons supporters, it is really such a lovely binding thing for us as a family,” Sam Ludbey-Stynes said.

“We will be watching it on the biggest TV screen we can find in the house, we’ve got decorations and red and blue balloons up.”

The Stynes family have been swept up in the emotion of the club’s resurgence.. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Jim Stynes famously came to Australia from Ireland as a teenager in 1984 and changed the face of AFL football, winning the Brownlow Medal in 1991.

He passed away, aged only 45, in March 2012, after a battle with melanoma.

Sam Ludbey-Stynes said Jim’s legacy to the game and community lives on, with his kids eagerly following the Demons’ charge through to their first grand final in 21 years.

“They have fond memories of their dad before he passed away, being little kids around the football club,” she said.

Matisse, 20, and Tiernan, 16, will play a role in the presentation of the prestigious Jim Stynes Community Award during the Brownlow Medal count on Sunday night.

The Demons’ rise this season — and the form of Rising Star and former junior basketball star Luke Jackson — has played an unlikely role in Tiernan’s renewed interest in AFL.

Jim at the 1991 AFL Brownlow Medal

Jim with Sam, Matisse and Tiernan.

“Tiernan actually walked away from playing football when he was about 13 to play basketball and I was like, ‘no’,” Sam Ludbey-Stynes said.

“He continued to watch the footy a bit while he was pursuing basketball. But since Luke Jackson has come into the side, he has more interest in the game of AFL now.

“You never know it might inspire Tiernan to come back to the sport.”

She spoke with Jim’s mum, Tess, after last week’s preliminary final win over Geelong, with the family still very closely connected.

She feels a great affinity with Melbourne supporters for the love and support they gave her and the entire Stynes family after Jim’s death.

“At Jim’s funeral, I came out of the church and I looked up to see a sea of blue and red in Fed Square,” she said. “I actually wanted to go over and hug everyone.

“It’s so good what is happening for the Melbourne supporters now, especially those who have been barracking for the club for so long.

“The opportunity they have had this year has been absolutely wonderful. Hopefully it keeps going.”

Originally published as AFL 2021: What Dees great Jim Stynes put ahead of his Brownlow Medal triumph