TOM LYNCH (Gold Coast Suns) - Restricted Free Agent:
It would be a shock if he stayed at Gold Coast.
He is adamant he won’t meet with clubs or consider their offers mid-year, but Gold Coast is increasingly fatalistic about him coming south.
The three suitors are Richmond, Collingwood and Hawthorn, his management having told others in no uncertain terms he wouldn’t consider them.
Plenty of reports about favourites for his services, but considering how dramatically things can change during trade time, ridiculous to suggest one is the outright favourite.
He isn’t seen to want to be a saviour, so Collingwood’s recent improvement will help him if he goes there considering the forward line alone wouldn’t rise or fall on his performances.
Gold Coast could consider matching a deal given they have huge cap space and would consider six-year deals and offer more than Victorian clubs.
Who knows what happens then, given neither of those three clubs would want to give up multiple first-rounders for Lynch, which would be the asking price.
Lynch is in Melbourne for the mid-season break, with many of those around him adamant he will be back in Victoria next year.
Figures bandied about of up to $1.5 million don’t marry with what those close to him are saying, which is that money won’t define his decision.
Instead he wants to play at a successful club that can win him a premiership, even if that means accepting $1 million a year (what a sacrifice!) instead of selling his services to the highest bidder.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/good-form-of-afls-older-free-agents-means-they-might-all-play-on-in-2019-writes-jon-ralph/news-story/85a674f24f145bb9aa105f382cbd55a1