JIM STYNES is not stepping down as Melbourne president but will take the rest of the season off to fight cancer.
Stynes, 43, told a press conference on Thursday that he had cancer in his back which had spread.
“Three weeks ago I found out that I had a lump in my back. The guys thought we should take it out and have a look at it. I found out that it was cancerous and so I was sent in to do a whole lot of follow up tests, scans and so on,” he said.
“I thought it might be located in the one area but it’s not. It has spread quite a bit and I have a journey to go on. I need to understand it and work with it.”
Stynes said he would do everything he could to fight the illness.
“I’ve got a great family and a great friendship group who are right behind me. The club, Reach [youth foundation he set up], the whole lot. I couldn’t be in better hands,” he said.
“I’ve got a new focus and as you all know from my footy I don’t tend to hold much back when I’ve got a goal, a vision or a focus I go after it with everything I can to make it happen. Right now I need to put all my energies into getting my body right and to heal.”
A composed Stynes became emotional only when asking for privacy for his family.
“I’m not stepping down from Melbourne. I’m not walking away. But I will be taking a break and I’ll need to take the rest of the season off so I can focus on this and focus on my family.”
Stynes will spend a week in hospital undergoing therapy but said he would be back living a normal life with 14 days. He has put no timeline on plans for his full recovery.
Vice-president Don McLardy will take over as president for the rest of the season.
AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou said the League and all involved in the football industry were united in their support for Stynes.
"Jim is one of the most respected people in football and across the community and the best wishes of the AFL and all football supporters go out to him, his wife Sam and his family at this time," Demetriou said.
"The tireless job Jim has done in transforming the Melbourne Football Club and bringing together the club's supporter base has been incredible and I know football fans from across all clubs will pledge their support for him.
"We wish Jim a speedy recovery from his illness."
The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) also released a statement of support for Stynes.
"Jim has played a strong role in the revitalising of the Melbourne Football Club (MFC), including the renewal of the MFC as a sporting section of the MCC," the statement from president David Meiklejohn and CEO Stephen Gough said.
"While we all admire his achievements, it is the challenges that he has met and overcome throughout his life that typify the man.
"We look forward to Jim enjoying a speedy recovery from his illness."
Irish-born Stynes came to Australia in the 1980s and played a record 244 consecutive matches between 1987-1998, winning the Brownlow Medal in 1991.
A member of Melbourne's Team of the Century and Hall of Fame, Stynes was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in 2003.He played 264 matches in total and took over as Melbourne president from Paul Gardner last year.
