Connors: Lynch has met with a third clubBy SEN
4 Aug 2018AFL player agent and manager of Tom Lynch Paul Connors has confirmed the race is down to three clubs for the Gold Coast captain’s services.
Lynch spent the last few weeks in Victoria while getting surgery on his knee and it had already been confirmed he met with both Collingwood and Richmond.
However, Connors confirmed he has also met with Hawthorn.
“There’s also Hawthorn involved. Yeah (he has met with the Hawks),” he told the AFL Nation pregame show.
“I think he’s has (shut his mind off to clubs other than Collingwood, Richmond and Hawthorn).”
The decision to meet with other clubs mid-season has been controversial, but Connors said the season-ending injury opened the door for it.
“If he hadn’t gotten injured and he was just playing, he’d just be playing and would not have met with any clubs,” he said.
“Craig Cameron and Gold Coast know that’s fact, he didn’t meet with a club while he was playing.”
While many have assumed Lynch’s decision was inevitable, Connors said the former All-Australian took “months” to make up his mind.
“Everyone thought it was just a no-brainer decision for Tom, whereas Tom would say to us, he can’t see himself playing in another jump for many months,” he said.
“For many it was an easy decision, for Tom it was a difficult decision that he wrestled with over time.
“I just think he thought it was his time to move on.”
Lynch was stripped of the captaincy by the Suns after making the decision, but Connors praised him for his performance as a leader this year.
“He was captain of the club and he was leading well, I mean that. As much as his football wasn’t helping because of his knee, he was putting himself out there when he should’ve been having an operation six weeks ago,” Connors said.
“There’s lots of others who’ve left earlier, Tom stayed the distance and gave them time and time and he just thought he was ready to come home.”
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2018/08/03/connors-lynch-has-met-with-a-third-club/
