Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell is one of the three players in contention for the AFL's Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award.

The Jim Stynes Award honours the former Melbourne President and champion player who passed away in March last year and will be presented to one of these three finalists at the 2013 Brownlow Medal Ceremony.

The other nominees are Gold Coast's Zac Smith and Western Bulldog Will Minson.

Nominations were sought from AFL clubs before the selection panel chose the three finalists and the winner who will receive $20,000 from the AFL to be donated to the charity or community program of their choice.

The inaugural winner of the Stynes Award was Richmond's Daniel Jackson.

The Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award selection panel includes:
- The Honourable Linda Dessau AM, AFL Commissioner (Chair of the selection panel)
- Andrew Demetriou, AFL Chief Executive Officer
- Sam Ludbey
- Sarah Davies, Reach Foundation Chief Executive Officer
- Jason Mifsud, AFL Head of Diversity, Neil Mitchell, 3AW Melbourne presenter
- Kim Williams

Nick Maxwell: Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell has shown outstanding leadership and excellence over a number of years in making a very significant contribution to a wide range of community groups, charitable organisations and social programs. Nick is a founding Director of the Collingwood Football Club Foundation. He established The Michael Carmody Foundation to honour the memory of one of his Geelong schoolmates who was killed in a camping accident in 2008. Nick is an ambassador for Make-A-Wish Australia which grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. He is also an ambassador to the World Society for the Protection of Animals which exists to tackle animal cruelty across the globe. Nick is proactive in creating new initiatives and leveraging his profile in the media to further promote these activities.