If Jack Riewoldt took a pay cut to stay with Richmond, what would happen with Tom Lynch? August 1, 2018
FOX SPORTSIF TOM Lynch signs with Richmond, he’d be joining a club right in the premiership window and one that has become the envy or its rival.
But that Tigers contract mightn’t be as financially healthy as the deals other clubs in the market are prepared to offer him.
Lynch looms as the AFL’s hottest free agent at season’s end, with the Gold Coast Suns seemingly preparing for their co-captain’s departure to a Victorian-based AFL club.
The 25-year-old, who booted nearly 200 goals between 2014 and 2017 before a knee injury and surgery ruined his 2018 campaign, has been linked to the Tigers, Collingwood and Hawthorn consistently throughout this season.
While the Tigers have been arguably the favourite to secure Lynch’s services, AFL 360 co-host Mark Robinson said the star forward would have to sacrifice significant dollars to join Richmond.
“It was bandied around mid-year $1.5 million. That is not happening,” the chief football write of the Herald Sun told Fox Footy’s AFL 360.
“If he signs at Richmond, in my opinion and who I’ve spoken to, it will be less than $1 million.
“That’s a $500,000 drop from April to the start of August.”
Richmond star Jack Riewoldt revealed on Tuesday night that he’d taken a pay cut to sign a two-year contract extension to remain with the Tigers.
Riewoldt's selfless act puts Richmond in a stronger position to re-sign the likes of Jayden Short, Bachar Houli and Shaun Grigg, as well as launch a big play for Lynch.
But Melbourne veteran Jordan Lewis said Lynch would be prepared to forgo a big salary portion if it meant joining one of the league’s best clubs.
“If a player want me to go to a successful side, he’s going to take unders then the market suggests,” Lewis told AFL 360.
“There’s a lot of money being thrown around about Tom Lynch. He can’t come out and say ‘this is what I’m demanding’. It’s out there saying ‘he wants this, he wants that’, but I can guarantee you if he goes to Richmond, he won’t get as much as if he would go to another club.”
Lynch has met with Collingwood twice in the past three weeks, including a one-on-one encounter with coach Nathan Buckley.
The Herald Sun reported on Tuesday night that the Pies can fit Lynch into their salary cap if they back-ended his contract.
But Hawthorn still sees itself as a strong player in the race to secure Lynch.
Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew left the door open for the Suns to exercise their free agency options with Lynch, as his restricted status gives the Suns a chance to match a rival club’s offer.
“It’s certainly not all on Tom’s terms,” Dew said on Tuesday.
“We’ve been in constant dialogue with Tom and his manager.
“When the time is right, we’ll certainly move forward one way or another.”
Dew added that as far as the Suns are concerned with Lynch, there is plenty of water yet to go under the bridge.
“Certainly there are options that we have — now is that … matching? Is it he decides to stay?” he said.
“Is it he decides he wants to explore, which we know he’s doing and that’s the environment we’re in.
“That time will come but right now his next appointment is with a surgeon to get cleared to come back.”
— with AAP
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-trade-news-why-tom-lynch-might-not-have-a-sevenfigure-salary-if-he-signed-at-richmond/news-story/905ea7dcbaa2594749dbe6bbb80613e7
