AFL to honour Stynes with community award

Updated May 16, 2012 16:50:28

The AFL will award each season's most community-focused player with a new inaugural trophy named after late Melbourne champion Jim Stynes.

Stynes played 264 games for the Demons before serving as their president from 2008 until he passed away in March after a long battle with cancer.

Alongside Stynes' widow Sam, AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou announced the new award on Wednesday in conjunction with the Reach Foundation, Stynes' youth wellbeing charity.

"We are all indebted to Jim Stynes' memory and will forever be inspired by his contribution to Australian life that is matched by few in the history of the game," Demetriou said in a statement.

"This award is a joint initiative of the AFL and Reach and will recognise those AFL players that make outstanding contributions to the community and display the same values that accompanied Jim throughout his remarkable life.

"This award is a fitting tribute to Jim's boundless commitment to the broader community such as establishing the Reach Foundation and supporting numerous community initiatives during and after his playing career.

"Jim's achievements with Reach and countless other projects throughout the community have provided an extraordinary legacy that will continue to touch the lives of so many people."

The award will be presented on Brownlow Medal night with Sam Stynes, Demetriou, an AFL commissioner, a Reach representative on a selection panel to determine the inaugural winner.

Clubs will nominate candidates before the end of the season.

"This award is a wonderful tribute to Jim and a great way for Jim's legacy to live on," Stynes' successor and Demons president Don McLardy said in a statement.

"His contribution to the Melbourne Football Club and the broader community has been immeasurable.

"I know all Melbourne Football Club supporters will be immensely proud that an award of this significance has been created in Jim's honour."

The Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award will sit alongside the Jim Stynes Medal for the best Australian player in Australia v Ireland International Rules matches.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted May 16, 2012 16:50:28

View the original article here

Community embraces Indigenous Round at the NTFA

Rocherlea and Georgetown football clubs competed in the NTFA Division 1 indigenous round clash on Saturday afternoon in Launceston.

It was the 'top of the ladder' game this year, and it is the Association's tribute to past and present Indigenous players.

As a part of the celebrations, Michael 'Smokey' Beeton', became the sixth player to be inducted as an NTFA Aboriginal Legend.

Graham Gardiner, one of the instigators of the Indigenous Round, which has been going for three years, said, "the Aboriginal community is right behind this, first and foremost, that was the key."

"The support from the local Aboriginal community, the support from the broader community, the businesses, the government departments are behind it, it really is something to behold."

Special guest speaker for the day, Ronnie Burns mingled with the crowd and spoke about the changing nature of the Australian Football League, for Indigenous and non-indigenous players.

Burns played in the AFL for Geelong and Adelaide in the AFL, and now appears on the ABC 2's Marngrook Footy Show.

For the record Rocherlea defeated Georgetown 14.12-96 to 7.8-50.

The Marngrook Footy Show is on ABC 2 Thursday nights live at 7:30PM.

View the original article here