Tom Lynch [merged]

[one-eyed]

Doctor sends alarming Lynch warning to Tigers

Sam Edmund,
Herald Sun
28 Feb 2019

Leading sports physician Dr Peter Larkins says Tom Lynch’s prolonged PCL knee struggles have potentially put the Richmond recruit at risk of never getting back to his best.

Lynch missed the last three games of 2017, a month in early 2018 and didn’t play after Round 14 — going under the knife when rest failed to cure his knee pain at the Gold Coast Suns.

“At his best he’s obviously a really good player, but sometimes there are injuries that mean guys never get back to their best and you recruit them thinking you’re going to be a genius,” Larkins told the Herald Sun.

“Clubs are sometimes more optimistic than they need to be on certain things.”

Lynch remains determined to face Carlton in Richmond’s season-opener, but this week conceded: “I’m not sure”.

Jarryd Roughead, Luke Hodge, Cyril Rioli, Grant Birchall and Nakia Cockatoo have all undergone PCL operations in recent years, with varying degrees of success.

PCL surgery, while refined by modern medicine, is still considered rare given the complexity and risks with the procedure.

“Lynch is interesting because if he turns out to be a Luke Hodge, who we’ve almost forgot had one, he’ll be fine,” Larkins said.

“But you look at Lynch and it was a case of will-he or won’t-he (have surgery) and as the months go on the knee usually gets more wear in it and more cartilage damage.

“So even though you might have a PCL operation to make the knee stable, athletes have often got advanced change in the knee by the time you do it so the soreness continues afterwards. The secondary damage to the joint surface and cartilage is already established.

“Quite often clubs are leaving it a long time before they get it done. You can tighten the PCL looseness, but if you’ve got cartilage damage, that is what’s irreversible.”

Lynch, 26, joined Richmond as a restricted free agent, signing a seven-year deal to partner Jack Riewoldt in Damien Hardwick’s forward line.

The Tigers have cautiously eased him into their pre-season program and already ruled him out of both JLT Community Series pre-season matches.

“If you took 50 knee surgeons in Melbourne and asked how many do ACLs I reckon 50 will put their hand up. (But) if you ask those 50 how many do PCL reconstructions you might find four or five put their hand up,” Larkins said.

“The PCL is totally different from the ACL in the sense it runs in the opposite direction. Everything in surgery is back to front so it’s more tricky.

“In our Epworth Hospital network between 2016-2017 we did 1,730 ACL reconstructions and we’ve done around 14 PCLs so there’s the sign.

“Clearly the successful ones are the ones we like to talk about, but the problem is there’s a whole bunch that are slow.”

The Tigers face the Blues at the MCG on March 21 with Lynch desperate to make his Richmond debut in the traditional blockbuster.

“I don’t know if Round 1 is realistic because Round 1 is less than four weeks away,” Larkins said.

“It will come down to him being really confident and ready to go and not having a setback, because you only get one go at it.”

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/richmond-recruit-tom-lynch-may-never-get-back-to-his-best-after-pcl-surgery-dr-peter-larkins-fears/news-story/ed2cef742a7870f0242d3c94018d1199

[Diocletian]

dud, delist....

[one-eyed]

Jon Ralph reckons Lynch will be ready to go for round 1.

[Diocletian]

What's the rush. rather be safe than sorry...plus we have fututre hall of fame legend Buddy Balta ready to go now....

[Slipper]

What's the rush. rather be safe than sorry...plus we have fututre hall of fame legend Buddy Balta ready to go now....

Surely the club doesn't rush Lynch in unless he is cherry ripe.

I'd quite happily go with Balta for a Round 1 debut against the Blues regardless of whether Lynch is ready.

[Go Richo 12]

Will be like a new recruit...

[one-eyed]

After eight seasons with Gold Coast, Lynch transferred to Richmond last October. He will not be one of the millionaires in 2019.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-03-06/six-milliondollar-men-as-player-salaries-go-up-again

[one-eyed]

Star Tiger recruit firms for season opener

AFL.com.au
Dinny Navaratnam
Mar 7, 2019

STAR Richmond recruit Tom Lynch has given the strongest indication yet he will take part in the Tigers' home-and-away opener after moving freely and joining full training on Thursday.

The 26-year-old had posterior cruciate ligament surgery on a knee last July and had a follow-up operation four months later, which has restricted his pre-season.

With the dawn of a new season against Carlton at the MCG just two weeks away, Lynch impressed in the 30 minutes media were allowed to watch training.

The key forward took to Punt Road Oval before anyone else, and appeared to be working on his ability to come to a complete stop.

Then as the group filtered out, he worked on his spring with the man he's set to form perhaps the competition's deadliest one-two combination with, Jack Riewoldt.

The Tigers then drilled their team defensive structure and how they would move the ball once winning it back, against minimal opposition.

His teammates roared with delight when Lynch led out and marked, but were disappointed when his shot didn't go through.

Lynch won't play against Hawthorn on Saturday night, but could take part in a VFL practice match before the season starts.

The former Gold Coast co-captain sits on a similar timeline to fellow forward threats Josh Caddy and Jason Castagna, who are battling ankle complaints.

Having too many lacking match practice in the same part of the ground against the Blues is a concern for Richmond, according to assistant coach Justin Leppitsch.

"You don't want too many underdone in the one line," Leppitsch said.

Once back playing, Lynch is an option to relieve Toby Nankervis in the ruck, with Shaun Grigg unlikely to continue that role considering the new 6-6-6 rules disadvantage smaller back-ups.

Leppitsch, however, explained why that might not happen.

"Centre bounce is always the danger with ruckmen, particularly with a PCL. As we know, it doesn't lend itself to doing centre bounces, with that knee-on-knee contact," Leppitsch said.

"Around the ground is more like any other body position contact, so I wouldn't think that's an issue.

"It's more the running he'll do in the ruck and whether that'll blow him up to play forward. That's more our concern, more than the physical stuff around the ground."

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-03-07/star-tiger-recruit-firms-for-season-opener

[one-eyed]

Lynch helps Tigers build premiership case

AAP
12 March 2019

Richmond might have secured a vital piece of their next premiership puzzle when they won the race to sign star free agent Tom Lynch.

But excitement at the gun forward’s arrival at Punt Rd was tempered somewhat by the knee injury he brought with him from Gold Coast that eventually needed surgery.

Fears the 26-year-old would miss games early in the season have eased as he has ramped up his training loads.

In fact, he’s advanced to the point where the highly anticipated season opener against Carlton is in his sights.

“He’s terrific … there’s every chance that he’ll play,” Tigers football chief Neil Balme told AAP about Lynch’s chance of playing against the Blues.

“He’s going to be a long term player for us, so we’re not worried about round one as such.

“But there’s still some chance that he’ll get up … when he’s ready to go he’ll tell us.

“If you watch him train you’d think that he was fine. In the good old days they would just play him but he has some markers to hit in terms of jumping, landing and changing direction.

“Just little things rather than the macro stuff, but he’s very confident and is really happy with what he’s doing and so are the medicos so if he doesn’t play round one he won’t be far off.”

Through necessity more than desire, Damien Hardwick engineered a non-traditional forward line based around sole tall Jack Riewoldt that propelled the Tigers to the 2017 premiership flag.

That same structure got them to a preliminary final last year where Collingwood beat Richmond at their own game.

But the arrival of Lynch will require a shake-up inside attacking 50.

His limited pre-season has made it difficult to get a handle on just how that recast forward line will function, but it’s a nice problem to have.

“If I were to say to any coach ‘You’re going to have to make something out of Tom Lynch and Jack Riewoldt as key forwards’ I think it would be a relatively easy task,” Balme said.

“We’re pretty sure how that will work but obviously you don’t know absolutely until they do it.

“We just have to get that balance of ground and aerial play and how that all works together.

“Certainly to be able to have two key forwards of the calibre of Jack and Tom is going to be amazing.”

https://www.sportsnews.com.au/afl/lynch-helps-tigers-build-premiership-case/468594

[Willy]

Anyone got any word on whether the big fella will play round 1?

[wayne]

I think it was the plan all along. He'll be there, terrorising Liam 'Silvagni' Jones hopefully.

[one-eyed]

Will Lynch make his Tiger debut in the VFL? Ask Dimma

Sarah Black
afl.com.au
Mar 15, 2019 8:35PM

TOM LYNCH says his first game for Richmond could be at VFL level, rather than in front of 80,000 people against Carlton at the MCG on Thursday night.

In an on-stage interview at Richmond's season launch, the key forward – who is recovering from a long-term PCL injury – said he hoped to play at some level next week.

The Tigers' VFL side hosts Carlton's affiliate Northern Blues at Punt Road Oval on Thursday afternoon, ahead of the blockbuster season opener at the 'G.

"I think I'll play either AFL or VFL next week," Lynch told MC Matthew Richardson.

"It'll come down to whether 'Dimma' wants me to come through in the twos or the seniors."

Lynch hasn't played at any level since injuring his knee in round 14 while representing Gold Coast.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-03-15/will-lynch-make-his-tiger-debut-in-the-vfl-ask-dimma-

[one-eyed]

Lynch: I’ll be playing next week

Jon Ralph, Lauren Wood,
Herald Sun
March 16, 2019

Trent Cotchin says Tom Lynch continues to make significant progress in his bid to play in Round 1 after a strong session of contested work last weekend.

The Tigers believe their star recruit is ready to play in Round 1 but there is still some uncertainty because of his lack of official match practice.

On Friday night Lynch, speaking at the Tigers’ season launch, told fans he was confident of taking the field next week.

“I think I’ll play either VFL or AFL next week,” he said.

“But I’m fine to play now, so it’ll just come down to whether Dimma (coach Damien Hardwick) wants me to go through the twos or go through the seniors.

“I feel fit and confident that my knee is fine.”

Lynch has looked hesitant at times with his running style after PCL surgery but Cotchin says that “proppy” running style is understandable.

Cotchin is still in the dark about Lynch’s Round 1 prospects but says while the Tigers won their second JLT clash against Hawthorn, Lynch got to work back in Melbourne.

“He is joining in a fair bit of training at the moment. With the injury he’s had he’s always going to look a little proppy and he knows within himself whether he is right or not,” he said.

“I don’t think there have been any lines ruled through him yet with coaches and people with more power than me will have a decision on whether he plays Thursday night or not.

“He’s feeling really good. He had a fantastic session while we were down in Tassie.

“A lot of contested stuff and he’s a big strong boy and it’s just a matter of him feeling right and the medicos and coaches feeling like it’s the right time for him.”

The Tigers will train at Punt Road again on Sunday in the lead-in to their Thursday night clash with Carlton and Lynch would need to prove himself in that session.

The Tigers seem likely to play stalwart ruckman Toby Nankervis without backup Ivan Soldo, with Cotchin thankful he isn’t on the club’s selection committee.

“I have no interest in being a coach. It’s a different look no matter which way you go. Do you go with the youth in Noah Balta or (Ivan) Soldo as a bigger ruckman. It will be an interesting one to see where the coaches take that.”

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/tom-lynch-confident-of-playing-next-week-as-trent-cotchin-backs-recruit-to-know-his-body/news-story/a2e693bd9b155cd5c4905cd404fd0256

[one-eyed]

Nine news just said Richmond is still remaining tight-lipped about whether Lynch will play in round 1. They showed him training away from the main group at training this morning doing stepping exercises and some goalkicking. They interviewed Grimesy who said it is touch and go whether Lynch will play on Thursday night but he doesn't this week then he'll play in the couple of weeks.

[one-eyed]