Gold Coast SUNS forward Tom Berry has today been announced as a finalist for the AFL-wide Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award.

The AFL confirmed Berry as one of five finalists, alongside his brother Jarrod (Brisbane Lions), Bailey Banfield (Fremantle Dockers), Reilly O’Brien (Adelaide Crows) 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.

Berry has been nominated for his work as an ambassador for Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA).

Both Tom and Jarrod have lost their mother, Jedda, to the illness in 2013 and have used their platform as an AFL player to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research.

Tom has volunteered hundreds of hours to support Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) and their campaigns.

His flagship event, 'Marathon for Mum', saw Tom, Jarrod and their older brother Joel 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.

If announced as the winner, Berry would become the second SUN to receive the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award after Zac Smith claimed the award in 2013.

The 2024 Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award will be presented during the broadcast of the 2024 Brownlow Medal on Monday 23 September.

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.