Aussie Rules hero Stynes loses cancer battle

Tributes have been flooding in for former Dublin minor footballer and AFL legend Jim Stynes after he lost his brave battle to cancer at the age of 45.

The Melbourne legend passed away peacefully at 8.20am on Tuesday morning Melbourne time surrounded by family and friends in his adopted city after a brutal two-and-a-half year fight with the disease.

Stynes had tackled the illness, which had spread to many parts of his body, with a zealous determination, giving graphic details of his crusade in a TV documentary as well as regularly updating his Twitter followers about his well-being.