Tom Lynch’s AFL future has come under serious scrutiny following his behind-the-play hit on Adelaide defender Jordan Butts, with prominent voices in the game suggesting the veteran may need to walk away if he can’t keep his emotions in check.
The 32-year-old is expected to cop a five-week suspension for the off-the-ball blow, which has drawn comparisons to infamous incidents involving Barry Hall and Andrew Gaff.
The clash left Butts dazed and Lynch under fire, not only for the act but for a horror performance that saw him fail to register a single disposal through nearly three quarters.
“You sense he had the red mist going ... he was already giving away free kicks,” Leigh Montagna said on AFL 360. “I wonder whether there was a frustration about his form and how he was playing ... it just got too much for him.”
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‘He probably needs to get out of it’
With Lynch off-contract beyond 2025 and Richmond blooding a new wave of talent, his place in the side and at the club is no longer guaranteed.
“It’s highly unlikely he’s going to play in the next successful Richmond team,” Gerard Whateley said. “He’s going to have to manage this for the remainder of his playing days, and if he can’t, he probably needs to get out of it.”
Lynch has held preliminary talks about a one-year extension, while Jack Riewoldt has previously floated a move back to the Gold Coast to finish his career under Damien Hardwick.
But Montagna believes Lynch must radically shift his mindset if he’s to remain a leader at the Tigers.
“He has to completely change his mindset ... he can’t let the frustrations boil over,” he said. “If it’s too hard for him, maybe he says, ‘I can go to a contender for another year or two’.”