The Power Of One | Thebigtip

Jim Stynes is many things to many people. He is a football pioneer, club legend, youth and charity worker, cancer fighter and most recently saviour of a football club.

At the start of 2008 Melbourne Football Club had debt totalling $5 million along with poor training facilities and little indication they had a plan for fixing either problem. The club was lacking in many areas and the pride and passion to call yourself a Melbourne Demons player or supporter was not what it once was. Then along came a saviour.

Since Jim Stynes took over the presidency of the club much has changed and a new energy has enveloped the place. First port of call was to reunite the club with their estranged partner, the MCC. The two had shared a link since 1889 existing in a legal partnership prior to the existence of the actual league itself before an acrimonious separation in 1980. With a significant number of MCC members also being supporters of the Melbourne Football Club relinking the two in some viable form was considered crucial. Through the hard work and influence of Jim Stynes and others this renewed partnership has seemed effortless.

The club for years were like a ping pong ball, constantly training at various ground around Australia with the main training oval being Junction Oval. Facilities were substandard compared to most AFL teams, instantly putting the club at a disadvantage going into the season. The club reacted to this at the start of the season by making two important steps with Stynes securing a permanent pre-season training base at Cranbourne (where the club could have goals set up all pre-season) and also the completion of AAMI stadium training facilities across the road from the MCG. The club finally have state of the art training facilities putting them on an even keel with the majority of the competition. Much of this is attributable to the work of Stynes who would no longer stand by and let his beloved club put up with amateur facilities for a professional club.

Debt demolition, the campaign to eradicate the club of its $5 million debt has resulted in amazing results for the club. Stereotypes of club supporters have always been Melbourne supporters were all rich and would rather go to the snow during winter in their Land Rover instead of sticking around to watch Melbourne play. Whilst I disagree with the stereotype, there's no doubt the club has has wealthy and influential supporters. Through a series of fundraisers and public campaigns the club has managed to wipe out 30 years of debt in a 2 year time frame. This amazing feat would not have occurred without the heart and passion of one man...big Jimmy Stynes. Not even a serious battle with cancer has managed to slow down the big Irishman from making his impassioned pleas to supporters and the AFL community at large. On a regular basis Stynes has been visible in his efforts to clear the debt as well as keeping the Melbourne Football Club in the spotlight for which it so rarely is. His regular attendance at games at the MCG even during some of his worst times in his cancer battle shows the courage and mental fortitude of the man.

Despite all this I believe the main thing Stynes has brought to the club is a sense of pride and passion seldom seen in the last decade. 

The board and football department finally have a clear future plan, the club is showing signs on the field of future success and memberships are at record levels. None of this would have occurred without the work of Jim Stynes stepping in.

Melbourne Football Club appears to have a healthy future, here is hoping Jim Stynes has the same.