The AFL is delighted to announce the five finalists for the 2024 Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award: Reilly O'Brien (Adelaide Crows), Jarrod Berry (Brisbane Lions), Bailey Banfield (Fremantle), Thomas Berry (Gold Coast SUNS) and Harry Cunningham (Sydney Swans).
Now in its thirteenth year, the prestigious award will be presented to the player who has best demonstrated the values of late Melbourne champion and former Demons' President, Jim Stynes. From their commitment to helping others and making a difference in the community, to the way they represent the game on and off the field, this award goes to the heart of the sport.
The 2024 Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award will be presented during the broadcast of the 2024 Brownlow Medal on Monday 23 September.
AFL Chief Executive, Andrew Dillon, said that the AFL is always proud to honour the late Jim Stynes through this award.
"One of the things I love most about our game is the impact that it has beyond the football field. We are incredibly proud of the work our players do in the community to raise awareness for worthy causes and positively impact the lives of so many people," Dillon said.
"Our nominees have all displayed great compassion, leadership and commitment in their volunteer work, all values that are at the core of this award. We are so lucky to have them as role models within the footy world and the wider community, and acknowledge the contribution they've made over years."
Past winners include Carlton's Sam Docherty (2023), Geelong Cats' Joel Selwood (2022), Port Adelaide's Travis Boak (2021), Richmond's Bachar Houli (2020), GWS GIANTS' Stephen Coniglio (2019), Melbourne's Neville Jetta (2018), Port Adelaide's Jack Hombsch (2017), Geelong Cats' Jimmy Bartel (2016), Carlton's Dennis Armfield (2015), West Coast Eagles' Beau Waters (2014), Gold Coast SUNS' Zac Smith (2013) and Richmond's Daniel Jackson (2012).
Nominations for the award are submitted from AFL Clubs and the AFL Players' Association before the judging panel selects the finalists.
Proudly supported by Telstra and the Jim Stynes Foundation, the winner will receive $40,000 to be donated to the charity or community program of their choice.
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Reilly O'Brien is a passionate and dedicated advocate for mental health support in South Australian schools.
O'Brien's advocacy for mental health has had a profound impact on community engagement, with his honest discussions about his personal experiences with mental health challenges serving as a powerful tool, breaking down stigma and encouraging open and vulnerable conversations.
O'Brien has been an ambassador and lead facilitator for the Open Parachute Mental Health Program since its inception in 2022, which has grown by over 200 per cent in the last two years, with over 28,000 students across 40 schools utilising the curriculum year-round.
O'Brien's role as a prominent speaker at schools has been instrumental in encouraging other volunteers to participate and inspire teachers and principals to advocate for the program within their networks, leading to a greater uptake throughout schools.
Inspired by the impact of these resilience workshops in schools, O'Brien has taken it upon himself to provide training to Adelaide Crows first to third year players to become comfortable sharing their own stories with students across metropolitan Adelaide.
Fostering a culture of giving back within the playing squad is an important focus for O'Brien, as a member of the club's men's leadership group. In this role, he continues to support his teammates in the development of their willingness to have candid discussions about their own vulnerabilities to support school-aged children.
In addition to his work with Open Parachute, O'Brien is also involved with other social welfare initiatives, such as Bedford Industries – which is Australia's second largest employer for people with a disability.
Jarrod Berry was just 15-years-old when he lost his mother Jedda to breast cancer in 2013 and has made it his mission over the past decade to honour her legacy and share the lessons and values that she instilled in her children before she passed.
As an AFL player, Berry has utilised his profile to create events and participate in activities that engage local communities and broader Brisbane Lions fan base to draw attention to Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) and encourage families impacted by breast cancer to explore the many services they have to offer.
In addition, Berry has set out to raise much needed funds for BCNA by utilising his broader network and connections within the community, the corporate sector, AFL industry, social media network and teammates to promote his events and advertise fundraising campaigns.
Since joining the Brisbane Lions in 2017, Berry has raised over $140,000 for BCNA through several campaigns, including the 'Marathon for Mum' in November 2023 where Jarrod along with his brothers and a group of friends completed a full marathon in their home town of Horsham raising $80,000 for the charity.
In 2018, Berry raised over $60,000 for BCNA by hosting an event in Horsham, where the brothers and their friends shaved their heads for breast cancer awareness, bringing in donations from the wider Horsham community and $5,000 donated by Berry's Brisbane Lions teammates.
Bailey Banfield is dedicated to brightening the lives of children and young people through ambassador roles at the Starlight Children's Foundation, Purple Hands Foundation and Millstar Foundation.
After being recognised as a finalist for the 2023 Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award, Banfield's unwavering commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of children and the broader community has seen his volunteer work reach new heights in 2024.
For the past six years, Banfield has connected with patients at Starlight, regularly visiting patients on wards and taking part in activities in the Starlight Express Room for young children and LiveWire Room for teenagers at Perth Children's Hospital.
These visits have brought joy, hope, and inspiration to countless young patients and their families, providing much-needed respite from the challenges they face, including the heartwarming moment where he dedicated a ‘Spider-man' goal celebration to Freo fan, Nicholas, who was in hospital. An instagram post of the moment became the most engaged social media post in the Club's history, bringing awareness to new audiences and elevating the foundation's national profile.
The Club-wide player ambassador program, which Banfield initiated, has significantly strengthened the connection between the Club and Starlight, increasing opportunities for Fremantle players to visit a child in hospital from two to 10 visits in 2024. In addition to making a personal contribution each year, Banfield's tireless advocacy helped the Club raise an impressive $473,114 during the 2024 Starlight Purple Haze game.
In 2023, Banfield lead a campaign for the Kimberley Floods Appeal, which raised $50,000 and provided support and funds to rebuild local communities after the region was devastated by its largest flood in 100 years.
Hailing from Broome, Banfield also volunteers his time to help disadvantaged young people in his role at the Purple Hands Foundation, the charitable arm of the Fremantle Dockers – going above and beyond to connect with kids in the Kimberley to help encourage positive social behaviours.
His efforts have created a ripple effect, where he has motivated even more individuals to get involved, including fellow Fremantle players Conrad Williams, Mikayla Morrison and Josh Corbett who followed Banfield's lead in volunteering time for the Kimberley 9s program in their off-season.
Banfield is also an ambassador for the Millstar Foundation, established in 2021 in honour of local Perth girl Milli Lucas who tragically lost her battle with brain cancer at age 14.
Thomas Berry has dedicated the past decade to using his platform as an AFL player to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research after losing his mother, Jedda, to the illness as a teenager in 2013.
Alongside his older brother Jarrod, he has volunteered hundreds of hours to support Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) and their campaigns. His flagship event, 'Marathon for Mum', saw the brothers run for over four hours in their hometown of Horsham, raising over $80,000 for BCNA.
Other initiatives led by Berry include head shaving events and PLAY4BNCA, where schools and sporting associations hosted a Pink Sports Day to drive ongoing community awareness and raise funds for BCNA on a national scale.
As an active ambassador for BCNA, Berry organised for his Gold Coast SUNS teammates to wear pink socks for breast cancer awareness in the round 20 AFL QClash match against his brother's side the Brisbane Lions earlier this year.
Berry is always ready and willing to throw his support behind the latest BCNA campaign, including the recent Ride for Hayley initiative, encouraging the Gold Coast community to ride 10km and donate $10 in honour of Hayley Fyfield who tragically lost her life to breast cancer earlier this year.
Harry Cunningham has been a strong supporter and ambassador of the Sydney Swans' charity partner Redkite for over a decade. During this time the veteran defender has been the face of Sydney's Redkite Day, made regular ward visits, has supported Redkite's music therapy program and helped campaign for numerous fundraising activities to help families facing childhood cancer.
Cunningham was first introduced to Redkite by former Swans player Rhyce Shaw in a visit to the Royal Children's Hospital in Randwick, where he was deeply impacted by the work they do. Over a decade later, Cunningham is a constant presence in the Redkite community, having built strong relationships with Redkite Staff and Matt Ralph, the music therapist at the Royal Children's Hospital.
Despite COVID impacting in person visits to hospitals in 2020, Cunningham's passion for the charity saw him proactively attend music therapy sessions with families via Zoom, In the same year he also supported the promotion of the ‘Crunch for Kids' fundraising challenge rallying 20 players and coaches to get involved which raised more than $50,000.
Cunningham is passionate about showing the next generation of AFL and AFLW players the important role they can play in the community, namely with Redkite, which has seen him recruit several new charity ambassadors this season, including Isaac Heeney, Braeden Campbell, Corey Warner and Harry Arnold. He has also taken younger players under his wing and into the hospital when he has done visits this season to show them the impact they can have, in the same way that Rhyce Shaw influenced him over a decade ago.
Each season, Cunningham is leading from the front at the annual Sydney Swans Redkite Day, rallying players and Swans members and fans to support and introducing Redkite families to the playing group and fan base. Over the last 13 years, Redkite Day and further support of Redkite fundraising initiatives has resulted in an incredible $250,000 being raised.
This year, Cunningham welcomed a very special Redkite patient Mackenzie Papworth to the SCG where she was able to meet the team and be a part of the training session. It's moments like these where Harry shines and leads by such a positive example in creating these special moments for those who have been through so much.
About the Jim Stynes Foundation
The Jim Stynes Foundation (JSF) perpetuates the work of the late Jim Stynes. Like Jim, the Foundation supports disadvantaged youth through his passion for sport, his allies and his charitable inceptions.
Public in nature, the Jim Stynes Foundation is a Public Ancillary Fund (PuAF) that distributes funds to worthy and specifically chosen registered charities. As a PuAF the public are invited to and can contribute to the Foundation. All contributions are then distributed to registered charities, as determined by the Foundation's Board.
The 2024 Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award selection panel includes:
(Chair) Trisha Squires – Head of AFL Queensland (non-voting member)
Luke Darcy – Network Seven & Triple M
Andrew Dillon – AFL CEO
Jude Donnelly – AFL, Executive Manager Government and Stakeholder Relations
Sarah Fair – AFL Executive General Manager – People
Don McLardy – CEO McLardy McShane Insurance & Financial Services
Neil Mitchell – Melbourne Broadcaster
Brett Murphy – AFLPA Representative
Sam Stynes – Jim Stynes Foundation Founder
Kim Williams – ABC Chair and former AFL Commissioner
