Caddy can’t wait to join forces with LynchJON RALPH,
Sunday Herald Sun
27 January 2019Josh Caddy calls Tom Lynch Richmond’s big friendly giant.
His former Gold Coast teammate has already been initiated into what Caddy calls the Richmond “brotherhood”, a genial figure who still packs an aggressive onfield punch.
But if Caddy were a little insecure, he could easily see Lynch as more foe than friend.
The 26-year-old is just coming off the best individual season of his three-club career, his 46-goal haul doubling his previous best tall as a member of the All Australian 40.
Many of those goals came as a brilliant lead-up target as Jack Riewoldt’s foil and in theory might go to Lynch instead this year.
Yet Caddy cares too much about team success to worry much about whether he gets his share of the spoils.
Everyone at Richmond is intrigued about how the front six will look at times this year. But is Caddy worried?
Not on your life.
With Richmond’s week-long training camp on the Gold Coast just finished, Caddy can’t wait to play alongside his 2011-12 Suns teammate.
“It’s a good question (how it influences Caddy), so we will just have to wait and see,” he said.
“There were times last year where we were screaming out for another key forward.
“Jack is a lead-up forward and always provides a contest about even he is under-sized at times.
“To have a big fella like Lynch play that key post, it allows Jack to be more mobile and use his strength and mobility. I will be the next one in line after that as that third tall or medium tall, but I will always back myself to be versatile and play at ground level.
“It can only benefit me. I don’t see it as a disadvantage or that it will affect me in a negative way. I can’t wait.”
Lynch is working through rehab on a posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction that few in the AFL have undertaken.
As it turns out the Hawks — who at one stage believed they had Lynch last year — quietly undertook the procedure on Luke Hodge and Jarryd Roughead with excellent results.
Hodge had an op after the 2012 season, returned for Round 2 of 2013, and played 23 excellent games that year.
Caddy says the Tigers have worked hard to integrate recruits like Lynch, Mav Weller, Jack Ross and Riley Collier-Dawkins into the Richmond way.
“Lynchy has definitely fitted in as a person. He is just a big friendly giant, he has that bit of aggression on the field but he is pretty low key growing up in that beach environment.
“He goes about his business and everyone has already warmed to him.
“We try to generate an environment where everyone can just be themselves and express themselves and the quicker we can get to know him on that level, the more he straight away feels part of that brotherhood.
“It’s frustrating for him not being able to train but his buy-in and presence has been great.”
Richmond didn’t need the fallout from Adelaide’s disastrous camp last year to ensure there were plenty of moments for levity at its camp, including a trip to Dreamworld.
“We try to make it as fun as possible. The camp was pretty hard, but the best thing about it is the out-of-hours stuff you do,” Caddy said.
“We have had activities and the trip to Dreamworld, the days of old-school SAS-style camps are gone. We just want to keep getting to know each other at a deeper level and having fun.”
Mav Weller will push for a spot in the forward line, West Australian teen Sydney Stack is still pushing for a rookie-list spot and the Tigers might even have a SuperCoach smokey for Round 1.
Their first pick Collier-Dawkins is a rangy 192cm mid who might take time to find his feet but rough-and-tough Oakleigh mid Ross (pick 43, 187cm, 87kg) is on the march.
“Jack Ross is a big-bodied mid who is already staking a claim for a game early in the year, so that’s exciting for us,” Caddy said.
“I haven’t played SuperCoach for a couple of years, and we have got a pretty good side already, but he has got all the attributes and ability and is ready to go.
“He is not a development player.
“You never know, Jack Higgins was able to do it last year so I don’t see why Jack Ross won’t be able to get an opportunity this year.”
Stack is a bubbly, confident kid, Caddy impressed by his talent and skills on both sides as the club considers whether he has the professionalism to win that rookie spot.
That midfield is already star-studded, but with Dusty Martin lame and Collingwood on fire in the preliminary final, it had the dirtiest night of the 2018 season.
Richmond’s attitude under Damien Hardwick was to realise they were well beaten and move on, and Caddy is on board with that philosophy.
“I don’t think it’s a true reflection of the team we were and Collingwood reminded me a lot of us the year before - riding a big wave of emotion.
“They were really unlucky not to win it all in the end. I am sure they would be shattered they couldn’t quite get over the line but we were caught off guard.
“We know they would come out like that and the year before the week off didn’t affect us. Maybe we were a little bit flat and before we knew it they were all over us.
“Collingwood will be a great side again this year but we still back ourselves in and think our best footy stacks up. We just had a bad night.”
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/team-success-more-important-than-personal-goals-for-josh-caddy-following-tom-lynchs-arrival/news-story/a120cbad6d8c75cacc00ca15cde73c2a
