Jim’s lasting impact on Max

WHILE accepting his ninth All Australian jacket on Tuesday night, Max Gawn has paid tribute to the late Jim Stynes, honouring his lasting impact on him as a mentor.

Gawn was the first player to reach this feat across the league’s history and was named All Australian for the second time his career.

Following the announcement, Gawn took the opportunity to reflect on how he’d made it to this level of recognition. He credited Jim’s philosophy of always striving to be yourself.

It’s a philosophy that lives on through the Jim Stynes Foundation, which works to empower young Australians to be the best versions of themselves.

“I am incredibly lucky to have had a mentor pretty early on in my career who was a phenomenal ruck man himself, Jim Stynes,” Gawn said.

“When you ask me who my mentor is now, I say Jim Stynes but back when he was alive and in my life, I probably wasn’t saying that.

“He’s come into my life later in my career and it’s all about being the best version of yourself, it’s hard enough playing footy, let alone trying to not be yourself.

“Having that in the back of my mind every time I get on the ground, it allows me to be me’m just always trying to be the best version of me.”