The father of Melbourne's late Irish icon Jim Stynes has died. Brian Stynes was front and centre for his son's famous 1991 Brownlow Medal triumph after flying in from Ireland for the occasion. His death was announced by daughter Dearbhla on Sunday.
"My beautiful Dad is in heaven with Jim now," Dearbhla wrote. "Miss you already and love you forever."
Jim died aged just 45 in March 2012 after a near three-year battle with cancer. "RIP Brian Pops Stynes who passed away last night," veteran football photographer Wayne Ludbey wrote. "Thinking of the Dublin clan, wife Teresa and children Jimmy, Brian (Jr), Sharon, Terri Ann, David and Dearbhla."
Brian was the first to celebrate Jim's Brownlow victory with the Demons star and joined his son on stage. Asked if he supported Jim's move to Australia, Brian said there was initially one reason why he was "a bit of a pessimist" compared to wife Tess. "I liked to watch him play. I was against it because I couldn't watch him play over in Australia," Brian said. "To me it was another world. It took a long time before they showed him over in Ireland."
Beloved by Melbourne supporters as a player and the first great Irish convert, Jim went on to become president and was crucial in the club emerging from years of financial struggle. He also co-founded youth charity The Reach Foundation and is still honoured today with the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award on Brownlow night. The Demons have also hosted Jim's Game over the past two years to raise funds for the Jim Stynes Foundation.
Brian Jr, who followed his brother in having a tilt at the AFL with Melbourne, is on the board and was on hand with other members of the Stynes family to celebrate the Dees' win over Brisbane last month. Jim's son Tiernan has embarked on a basketball career and is currently playing in the US college system.
