JIM STYNES has revealed he has spoken to former Essendon player Adam Ramanauskas as he begins his fight against cancer.

Stynes announced on Thursday that he was fighting a cancer in his back and said he had spoken to Ramanauskas whose career was twice put on hold because of cancer.

“I had a great conversation with Adam Ramanauskas last week because he’s been through something similar and it has this kind of public attention,” Stynes said.

“If it was more than 12 months ago I might have been able to do it on the quiet, it would have been just a little story and it would have made it a lot easier.

“[Adam] was great and I’m sure a lot of people will want to send me best wishes notes and I love hearing from people but I need to really focus on me.”

Stynes said he has already received tremendous support from his family, friends and colleagues but one of the more memorable bits of advice stood out from all others.

“I had a few days away last week and I had a conversation with a young girl but very wise girl. She said to me that ‘you know this could be the greatest blessing you’ve ever got. Because part of your soul needs to communicate something to you and it has obviously needed to do it’,” Stynes said.

“You know me, I run around at a million miles an hour and I don’t always stop to smell the roses and take in what is actually around me.”

Stynes’ wife Sam sat alongside him as he announced the news of the cancer. She said the family would do all it could to cope through the difficult time.

“I’m okay. We’ve got two young children, we both need to stay strong and move forward as best we can,” Mrs Stynes said before her famous husband chimed in.

“Sam is an amazing human being. I’m very blessed. Very blessed.”