JIM STYNES - footballer, family man and youth activist - has been farewelled at a moving State funeral in Melbourne.

A who's who of the football world gathered along with representatives from politics and business at the service for the former Melbourne champion.

About 1600 mourners packed into St Paul's Cathedral, with thousands of people, many wearing red and blue scarves, gathered across the road in Federation Square.

Jim Stynes' brother Brian was the first of four eulogists, speaking about a brother who acted as a second father figure for his siblings as they made frequent trips between Ireland and Australia.

"There has never been a moment when we could not have imagined Jimmy in our lives," Stynes said.

"I take some comfort that he will forever be in our hearts."

Stynes, who played two games alongside Jim for Melbourne in 1992, said he looked up to his older brother in all aspects of life.

"I tried following in his footsteps, but they were always too big."

Film director Paul Currie, who co-founded Reach Youth with Stynes in 1994, spoke of Stynes' work with young people and of his fight with cancer.

Stynes' former Melbourne teammate and close friend Garry Lyon opened with some lighter anecdotes about Stynes' frugal nature with money and spoke about their time on the coaching staff of Australia's International Rules team.

Lyon revealed how crossed lines meant he and Stynes had intercepted the transmission of Ireland's coaching moves in a test at Dublin's Croke Park.

"For the first five minutes we listened to the coach of the Irish team makes his moves and we trumped them," Lyon said.

"The Irish said afterwards 'the Australians were very prepared, they anticipated every move'..."

The former Demons captain closed by speaking of what his friend of almost three decades had meant to him.

"I sat down and wrote a list of words that describe him as a footballer - consistent, reliable, dependable, trustworthy, honest, strong, durable, sincere, loyal, courageous, caring and resilient.

"They are wonderful qualities to possess in a footballer. They are even more significant qualities to possess as a man."

Lyon said Stynes remarkable ascent to an elite AFL player and a much-loved humanitarian had changed people's expectations of one another.

"We now know never to question the boundaries of what one man is capable of achieving on the playing field, but also to never question the ability of the same man to have that impact away from it.

"There's never been anyone like Jim Stynes and there never will be. Which is why we loved him and we miss him so much today."

Stynes' widow Sam read a verse, Alicia's Poem, as a metaphor for her husband's life.

Before the service tribute text messages were flashed on the giant screen at Federation Square, including 'RIP Jimmy you changed my life, you will be missed by all' and 'Your life is an inspiration'.

Earlier, Melbourne players arrived at the cathedral en masse, all wearing their formal team blazers. At the end of the service they formed a guard of honour for the hearse, with the Demons' club song echoing loudly around the city centre.

Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu delivered a reading, while Jim's father Brian was one of eight pall bearers along with Warwick Green, Hugh Ellis, Phil Healy, Wayne Ludbey, Michael Scott, David Stynes and Frank Williamson.

The heart of Melbourne came to a standstill to honour Stynes and the funeral was broadcast on five television stations.

Road blocks were in place on Flinders St and St Kilda Rd, while trams have come to a standstill.

The Melbourne legend was Catholic but he chose the Anglican St Paul's on the corner of Flinders St and Swanston St for a non-denominational service.

Friends and family will gather at the MCG on Tuesday afternoon for a private wake.

Stynes died last Tuesday at his St Kilda home after a two-and-a-half year cancer battle.

He was 45.

Stynes' body will be cremated and taken back to Ireland by wife Sam and children Matisse and Tiernan.

The Stynes family asks that donations be made to either The Jim Stynes Future Fund or Peter Mac Cancer Foundation