Melbourne president Jim Stynes has compared his cancer battle to the AFL club, saying he has great faith about the future.
Stynes spoke at a club promotion on Monday ahead of Saturday’s season opener against Hawthorn, where the Demons will have a theme of “dare to dream”.
The 1991 Brownlow medallist continues to undergo treatment for cancer, but his hair has started growing back and Stynes was typically upbeat.
“Really, it is a privilege to get what I’ve got and then to deal with it and get on with it and be positive and believe that you can heal,” he said.
“It’s the same thing with footy – do you really believe as a football club, we’ve been over 40 years without a premiership.
“Do our supporters really believe that we can win one? Well, I certainly do and it’s the same with my healing.
“I certainly believe I’m going to get through this and I will be healed when the time is right.”
Melbourne has had an appalling run with injuries over the last few weeks, but the Demons give themselves a strong chance against the Hawks.
Hawthorn has its own injury troubles and the Demons will debut their top draft picks Tom Scully and Jack Trengove, as well as possibly James Strauss.
“It’s going to be a big week, a big day,” Stynes said.
“The focus and theme of round one for Melbourne is ‘dare to dream’.
“It’s been a huge preseason, we have all these young kids debuting and young kids who have only started playing.
“We really are the youth club, we have the youngest list in the competition.”
Stynes played down Melbourne’s injury problems and is confident his team would perform well this weekend.
“Every team suffers injuries, Hawthorn have a few injuries as well,” he said.
“You just never know what’s going to happen in round one – who would have thought North Melbourne would have won their first game of the pre-season (against Geelong).
“Once you’re out there, you’re always a chance of a win.”
- AAP