PRESIDENT Jim Stynes has paid tribute friend and former teammate Sean Wight, who sadly passed away on Thursday following a battle with cancer.
Stynes said the 47-year-old was an outstanding person and remarkable sporting talent.
“It’s very sad. We’ve just lost a great man and a great teammate and a brother, son and a good friend,” Stynes said.
“He’s probably the most competitive and probably the greatest athlete that I’ve played footy with. He could’ve been anything, but he chose footy. He could’ve been a professional soccer player or he could’ve been a rugby player. There are so many sports that he was just an all-round athlete at. He played handicap golf towards at the end.
“He could just do everything. Unfortunately, he had a body, and he did a knee when he was 19. In those days, when he did a knee, it was tough to get back from and most players never played again.
“But he just kept putting himself out there and he accomplished great things despite his physical incapability.”
Stynes said the 47-year-old was an outstanding person and remarkable sporting talent.
“It’s very sad. We’ve just lost a great man and a great teammate and a brother, son and a good friend,” Stynes said.
“He’s probably the most competitive and probably the greatest athlete that I’ve played footy with. He could’ve been anything, but he chose footy. He could’ve been a professional soccer player or he could’ve been a rugby player. There are so many sports that he was just an all-round athlete at. He played handicap golf towards at the end.
“He could just do everything. Unfortunately, he had a body, and he did a knee when he was 19. In those days, when he did a knee, it was tough to get back from and most players never played again.
“But he just kept putting himself out there and he accomplished great things despite his physical incapability.”
Stynes was full of praise for Wight's ability to play through injury and return from a couple of knee reconstructions.
“Back in those days, you were put in a cast for 10 months, and the knee was never the same. To get it working and bending, and the things that Sean did on the footy field - he was such a courageous player,” he said.
“He was playing against the toughest, biggest, strongest, week in, week out, so it took its toll. The injuries took their toll, but it didn’t stop him.”
“His speed was incredible, and his power. The power in his thighs and his hips - he just wasn’t afraid of anyone. His courage at the ball - he was never a dirty player, didn’t look for fights or anything like that, but he hit hard.”
“Back in those days, you were put in a cast for 10 months, and the knee was never the same. To get it working and bending, and the things that Sean did on the footy field - he was such a courageous player,” he said.
“He was playing against the toughest, biggest, strongest, week in, week out, so it took its toll. The injuries took their toll, but it didn’t stop him.”
“His speed was incredible, and his power. The power in his thighs and his hips - he just wasn’t afraid of anyone. His courage at the ball - he was never a dirty player, didn’t look for fights or anything like that, but he hit hard.”
Stynes also recalled a time when Wight played on AFL greats Tony Lockett, Jason Dunstall and Gary Ablett snr in quick succession. He said his effort to quell Ablett sparked a remarkable reaction.
“I’ll always remember that we had a short period of about six games, and within those six games, he played on [Tony] Lockett one week, [Jason] Dunstall the next week, and [Gary] Ablett the next week, and these guys were on fire,” he said.
“They were at the top of their game. He would have kept them to - in total - probably five goals. I remember Ablett only got one goal, and he kicked it in the last minute of the game. I walked off the ground with Sean, and we’d won the game, and he was in tears.
“He was so disappointed that he had let him kick a goal, because he just put his heart and soul into it. And for this guy to kick this goal right at the end - he was devastated, because he took so much pride in what he did.
“He just wanted to be the best he could be, and give the most he could for the team on the day.”
“I’ll always remember that we had a short period of about six games, and within those six games, he played on [Tony] Lockett one week, [Jason] Dunstall the next week, and [Gary] Ablett the next week, and these guys were on fire,” he said.
“They were at the top of their game. He would have kept them to - in total - probably five goals. I remember Ablett only got one goal, and he kicked it in the last minute of the game. I walked off the ground with Sean, and we’d won the game, and he was in tears.
“He was so disappointed that he had let him kick a goal, because he just put his heart and soul into it. And for this guy to kick this goal right at the end - he was devastated, because he took so much pride in what he did.
“He just wanted to be the best he could be, and give the most he could for the team on the day.”
