The sad reality is that it's unlikely to happen.

After eradicating the AFL club's debt and unifying what had been a disjointed and almost farcical club, Stynes stood down as its president last night to focus on his battle with cancer.

He took over the ailing club in 2008, a year before he was diagnosed with cancer, which spread from his back to other parts of his body, including his brain.

Ailing himself for the last two and a half years, he continued his passionate fight to rescue Melbourne which was last on the ladder, in debt to the tune of $5 million and even facing extinction when he took over.

He resisted moves to relocate the club, shored up the MCG as its home ground, restored relations with the MCC, found a permanent training and administrative base and injected a positive spirit into a dispirited club.

On-field, the progress has been slower, but Stynes has laid the foundations. It's now up to the players and coaches to honour his commitment.

Ten years after he stopped playing, when his club needed someone to take it by the scruff of the neck and lift it out of the gutter, he did just that. Just as he did for many of Victoria's directionless youth through his charity the Reach Foundation.

His work with Reach put him on state and federal government advisory boards and has also been recognised by honours beyond football _ a Medal of the Order of Australia and twice Victorian of the Year.

But cancer wasn't enough to stop the 45-year-old's commitment to others. He's had 23 tumours cut from his body, including six from his brain. In between surgery, even days after having tumours removed, he'd put his own issues aside to continue his pledge to turn his football club around.