The Styne`s Legacy
May 24th 2008 22:03
As a footballer big Jim Stynes will be remembered as the softly spoken raw recruit who became a club champion the consecutive games record holder, and so arguably one of the most durable, a Brownlow medalist, an international representative of both participating countries, he is now a Hall of Fame inductee, so with weighting for his pioneering role as an overseas entrant to Australian Rules Football, it seems inevitable that AFL Legend status will eventually beckon. Should Hollywood enshrine his career it would possibly draw parallels with the fictitious Irishman portrayed by John Wayne in "The Quiet Man"
With all these accolades the legacy is intact, well, not withstanding his moment of notoriety, and of course his declaration of his virginity around the same period, the infamy he acheived for running over Gary Buckenara`s mark in the `87 Preliminary Final which incurred a 15 metre penalty and consequently put Buckenara within shooting range, and with that to Hawthorn went the spoils and a Grand Final berth.
The significance of that misdemeanour was illustarted to Stynes` as he declared in his biography, while on a train on the Metro in Paris as he used an overseas holiday to purge himself after the season had finished, a stranger approached him with the quizzical remark, which helped perpetuated his infamy "aren`t you the guy who ran over the mark?"
A quantum leap in disaster stakes may await Stynes` legacy as rumours abound that he is about to take on the position as President of the Melbourne Football Club, and succeed incumbent the under siege Paul Gardiner. Presidency`s are arguably ego driven jaunts or for the most part thankless and without fiscal reward almost fulltime servitude.
Away from footy we have seen the true stamp of the man that Jim is with his work with the deprived in society through his Reach Foundation. Stynes` position as a potential legend within the game would probably be surpassed by a distance by his achievements post football career via his endeavours to improve the quality of life for those with less opportunity in life.
The combination of the philanthropist and the successful football club is a great success path for both, but solvency and recent on field success would be parmount ingredients which may be absent with this example. The quiet president from Hawthorn "Jeffrey Bravo Kennett" has stirred the pot for Melbourne and Stynes` recently with his suggetion that the Demons would be better off on the Gold Coast as one of the new franchisee. On the surface an atagonistic remark "Jeffrey Bravo", but Stynes should be grateful as the storm that ensued is the appetiser to what he would expect to encounter as President of a basketcase.
The task of transforming a club whom is operating at a loss in the region of $1.5 million annually, they are tenants in stadium they can`nt fill or afford, a fan base that seems apathetic and more dramatically an underachieving list who are now rapidly aging, whom have just lost their only onfield inspiration, with the retirement of David "Captain Shyness" Neitz. The rookie sensation Austin "won in a million" Wonaeamirri is one of a few on the list , along with Aaron Davey "Aaronbelievable" should he find his best form regularly, who provide legitimate hope, is a mammoth task.
In a couple of years the West Sydney Demons might not seem so alien a concept if these trends continue, obviously the legacy of the person or persons held accountable for such a move would not be heralded as pioneers, but long term the benefits would be laided upon the incumbents, by which time the administration whom was held responsible for such an occurrence would have been "Demonised".
The Demons may never move, but, then they may not survive either, but there is some irony in that the last bastion of the old world vestiges, The Melbourne Football Club the conservative arm of the establishment, now lays its hopes off the field in the hands of an Irish Republican and on field at the feet of indigenous Australians.
"The Quiet Man`s" philanthropy may continue at the same powerful level, but, time will tell whether either avenue he pusrsues may be adversely affected. His work with Reach may lead to the likely Australia Day honours list and upwards from there to the global stratasphere. It is concievable to picture The Quiet Man President Obama and Bono in tow as he addresses the United Nations in New York as he introduces a global initiative to combat homelessness, in the rear pews the delegates from the smaller nations squint as they identify those on the forum, the representative from Kazhakstan enquires as to who the people presented are from his colleagues to his side, the South African representative replys, "I am not too sure about the guys on either side, but the other guy is the one who killed Melbourne"
Short of publicly declaring at the UN that he lost his virginity to Jeffrey Bravo, it would seem the Quiet Man zenith in terms of infamy may be the ill fate of the Demons
The significance of that misdemeanour was illustarted to Stynes` as he declared in his biography, while on a train on the Metro in Paris as he used an overseas holiday to purge himself after the season had finished, a stranger approached him with the quizzical remark, which helped perpetuated his infamy "aren`t you the guy who ran over the mark?"
A quantum leap in disaster stakes may await Stynes` legacy as rumours abound that he is about to take on the position as President of the Melbourne Football Club, and succeed incumbent the under siege Paul Gardiner. Presidency`s are arguably ego driven jaunts or for the most part thankless and without fiscal reward almost fulltime servitude.
Away from footy we have seen the true stamp of the man that Jim is with his work with the deprived in society through his Reach Foundation. Stynes` position as a potential legend within the game would probably be surpassed by a distance by his achievements post football career via his endeavours to improve the quality of life for those with less opportunity in life.
The task of transforming a club whom is operating at a loss in the region of $1.5 million annually, they are tenants in stadium they can`nt fill or afford, a fan base that seems apathetic and more dramatically an underachieving list who are now rapidly aging, whom have just lost their only onfield inspiration, with the retirement of David "Captain Shyness" Neitz. The rookie sensation Austin "won in a million" Wonaeamirri is one of a few on the list , along with Aaron Davey "Aaronbelievable" should he find his best form regularly, who provide legitimate hope, is a mammoth task.
In a couple of years the West Sydney Demons might not seem so alien a concept if these trends continue, obviously the legacy of the person or persons held accountable for such a move would not be heralded as pioneers, but long term the benefits would be laided upon the incumbents, by which time the administration whom was held responsible for such an occurrence would have been "Demonised".
The Demons may never move, but, then they may not survive either, but there is some irony in that the last bastion of the old world vestiges, The Melbourne Football Club the conservative arm of the establishment, now lays its hopes off the field in the hands of an Irish Republican and on field at the feet of indigenous Australians.
"The Quiet Man`s" philanthropy may continue at the same powerful level, but, time will tell whether either avenue he pusrsues may be adversely affected. His work with Reach may lead to the likely Australia Day honours list and upwards from there to the global stratasphere. It is concievable to picture The Quiet Man President Obama and Bono in tow as he addresses the United Nations in New York as he introduces a global initiative to combat homelessness, in the rear pews the delegates from the smaller nations squint as they identify those on the forum, the representative from Kazhakstan enquires as to who the people presented are from his colleagues to his side, the South African representative replys, "I am not too sure about the guys on either side, but the other guy is the one who killed Melbourne"
Short of publicly declaring at the UN that he lost his virginity to Jeffrey Bravo, it would seem the Quiet Man zenith in terms of infamy may be the ill fate of the Demons
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