Melbourne president Jim Stynes admitted he thought he 'was done and dusted' a few weeks ago, but now has new hope in his fight against cancer.
Stynes has been battling the disease for over two years and thought his time was up less than a month ago when he was showing no signs of improvement.
But doctors tried some new medication and found that one of tumours on his brain had halved in size, giving the 45-year-old new hope.
He will head in for another brain operation this week, which he hopes 'will give him some more time'.
"I've been pretty good. I was sort of written off there not too long ago and now I've been given another crack," Stynes said on Monday.
"The doctors saw something they didn't see a few weeks ago so they got some more medicine that will keep me going for a little bit more."
"They started something new and they didn't think it was going to work and now they think it might."
"I'm taking a lot of different medications and they've been playing around with a few bits and pieces, some of it seems to be working."
"One of the tumours halved in size and that was unexpected, we only found that out about a week ago, so that was a real surprise."
"I thought we were done and dusted, but they've decided there's something else they can do so I'm gonna go in and have another brain operation and hopefully that will give me some more time."
Stynes watched the Demons train on Monday before handing over the No.11 jersey, which he wore for the majority of his career, to new recruit Mitch Clark.
The number has been vacant since Paul Johnson left the club at the end of the 2010 season and Stynes was happy to see it go to another big man.
"We didn't have a number 11 last year so it's good to have someone in there and good to have a big fella. Hopefully he's going to do some good stuff because we've been lacking a bit of height," he said.
"He's a big fella and I don't think he'll have any problem with what's going to be thrown at him."
"He's not afraid to have a crack and that's something we really need. The truth will be known when he gets out there and starts to play. We have a lot of new faces and he'll just be one of him."
Clark was honoured to receive the jumper and said that Stynes' involvement at the club was an inspiration that gave the players a real buzz around the training track.
"Spoke to Jim for a couple of weeks about it and he said he was happy for me to wear the jumper and when the club came to me with it I was really excited about the opportunity and I'm just looking forward to getting out there and playing games," he said.
"Personally I just wanted to speak to Jim first about it and when I did that I was pretty much sold straight away. I was really excited about the opportunity to wear the jumper from the start and I just wanted to tick that box with Jim first and after doing that it was a pretty easy decision."
"Jim himself is such an amazing man, he's held in such high regard at the footy club. I'm just getting to know Jim as well and I'll continue to build that relationship with Jim and I'm just really excited about the opportunity."