Jim Stynes
Melbourne · “Jimmy”
AFL career
264 games130 goals
- Debut
- R3 1987 v GEE11 Apr 1987
- Most recent
- PF 1998 v NTH18 Sept 1998
Stats
1998 | MEL | 20 | 7.3 | 4.5 | 11.7 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 52 |
1997 | MEL | 22 | 12.7 | 7.8 | 20.5 | 5.7 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 85 |
1996 | MEL | 22 | 12.1 | 8.3 | 20.4 | 6.5 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 93 |
1995 | MEL | 22 | 12.0 | 6.2 | 18.2 | 6.1 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 80 |
1994 | MEL | 25 | 9.6 | 7.2 | 16.8 | 5.0 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 72 |
1993 | MEL | 20 | 13.3 | 9.0 | 22.2 | 6.2 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 89 |
1992 | MEL | 22 | 15.2 | 8.2 | 23.4 | 7.5 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 100 |
1991 | MEL | 24 | 15.9 | 9.7 | 25.6 | 8.9 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 109 |
1990 | MEL | 24 | 12.8 | 5.4 | 18.1 | 5.2 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 79 |
1989 | MEL | 24 | 13.6 | 4.7 | 18.3 | 5.0 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 81 |
1988 | MEL | 26 | 12.2 | 4.1 | 16.3 | 5.2 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 72 |
1987 | MEL | 13 | 8.9 | 3.5 | 12.4 | 3.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 60 |
NTH | MCG | PF | 3 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0.0 | 34 |
STK | MCG | SF | 3 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0.0 | 40 |
ADE | MCG | QF | 7 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0.0 | 34 |
RCH | MCG | R22 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0.1 | 36 |
SYD | MCG | R21 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0.0 | 14 |
PAD | FP | R20 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0.0 | 66 |
CAR | MCG | R19 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0.1 | 27 |
BRL | MCG | R18 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 0 | 0.0 | 49 |
NTH | MCG | R17 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0.0 | 35 |
FRE | MCG | R16 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0.0 | 36 |
STK | MCG | R13 | 13 | 4 | 17 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0.2 | 83 |
GEE | MCG | R12 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0.0 | 29 |
HAW | WP | R11 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0.0 | 39 |
ESS | MCG | R9 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 1.0 | 63 |
COL | MCG | R8 | 15 | 13 | 28 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 0.2 | 121 |
RCH | MCG | R7 | 15 | 4 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0.0 | 75 |
CAR | OO | R4 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0.0 | 62 |
BRL | Gabba | R3 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 0.0 | 53 |
NTH | MCG | R2 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0.0 | 88 |
FRE | SUB | R1 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1.0 | 55 |
Bio
Recruited from Dublin as a pioneering success of the "Irish Experiment," Jim Stynes transitioned from Gaelic football to become one of the most influential ruckmen in VFL/AFL history. While his early career was famously marred by a tactical error in the 1987 Preliminary Final that cost Melbourne a Grand Final berth, he responded with extraordinary resilience to revolutionise his position. Possessing the aerobic capacity of a midfielder, Stynes played like an extra on-baller, often gathering high disposal numbers and running his heavy-set opponents into the ground rather than relying solely on physical dominance in the ruck contests.
His durability became legendary, establishing a league record of 244 consecutive games—a streak maintained despite significant injuries, including a rib fracture that required remarkable determination to play through. This consistency was matched by elite performance, culminating in the 1991 Brownlow Medal, making him the first non-Australian born player to win the league's highest individual honour. A four-time Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Trophy winner and Team of the Century member, Stynes retired as a club icon who successfully bridged the gap between raw international potential and genuine Australian football greatness.
Profile
- Born
- 23 Apr 1966
- Died
- 20 Mar 2012 (aged 45y 332d)
- Birthplace
- Dublin, Ireland
- Deathplace
- St Kilda, VIC
- Height
- 199 cm
- Weight
- 99 kg
Teams
Honours
- Brownlow Medal1991
- Top 10
- 1993, 1995
- Hall of Fame2003
- All-Australian(2×) 1991, 1993
- Leigh Matthews Trophy1991
- Melbourne B&F(4×) 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997
- 3rd
- 1990
- Top 10
- 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993
Family
- Brother:Brian Stynes
Bio
1 revisionRecruited from Dublin as a pioneering success of the "Irish Experiment," Jim Stynes transitioned from Gaelic football to become one of the most influential ruckmen in VFL/AFL history. While his early career was famously marred by a tactical error in the 1987 Preliminary Final that cost Melbourne a Grand Final berth, he responded with extraordinary resilience to revolutionise his position. Possessing the aerobic capacity of a midfielder, Stynes played like an extra on-baller, often gathering high disposal numbers and running his heavy-set opponents into the ground rather than relying solely on physical dominance in the ruck contests.
His durability became legendary, establishing a league record of 244 consecutive games—a streak maintained despite significant injuries, including a rib fracture that required remarkable determination to play through. This consistency was matched by elite performance, culminating in the 1991 Brownlow Medal, making him the first non-Australian born player to win the league's highest individual honour. A four-time Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Trophy winner and Team of the Century member, Stynes retired as a club icon who successfully bridged the gap between raw international potential and genuine Australian football greatness.