Born in Dublin, Stynes was brought from Ireland to Australia as part of a Ron Barrassi inspired experiment in the mid 1980’s to recruit Irish footballers for the Melbourne Football Club. Stynes played his first senior game in 1987 and retired 264 games later at the end on 1998. He has been described as “Australia’s most successful sporting experiment.”
His football honours include winning the 1991 Brownlow Medal; Melbourne Football Club Best and Fairest 1991, 1995, 1996 & 1997 equalling the club record. His most extraordinary performance was to play an AFL record breaking 244 consecutive games between round 17 in 1987 and round 4 in 1998 when his hand was broken.
Stynes devoted his life off the football field to helping Victorian youth. In 1993 he made an even bigger commitment to our youth co-founding Reach Youth with film director Paul Currie.
Stynes’ professional interest in human behaviour and youth initiative programs over the past 16 years have taken him to Australia, America and Ireland.
Champion footballer and Brownlow Medal winner Jim Stynes has made his mark in the lives of over 450,000 Victorian youths as co-founder of Reach, a charity organisation that provides a platform for young people to support other young people.
Reach and Stynes work together to encourage teenagers to realise their potential and discover their purpose through being made to feel valued and special in a positive and supportive learning environment.
Reach activities include school programs and workshops, camps and major events such as ‘Hero’s Journey Days’, all of which combine group interaction with creative expression.
The aim of Reach is to support young people on their journey to find their own truth, and to follow their dreams. Reach achieves this by creating a “safe space” for groups of young people to develop trust, openness and the freedom to express their concerns, perceptions, fears and aspirations and to recognise that they are not alone.
The Reach Foundation is a Victorian non-profit, non-denominational organisation which is committed to supporting young people between 8 -18 years.
Jim Stynes was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in June 2003 and in the same week was awarded Victorian of the Year for his work with Youth.
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