Tom Lynch must be allowed to make his own choice

After seeing the "effort" that Lynch put out last night then there's really no doubt that he's gone. He should be dropped after his effort last night, he's supposed to be Captain and a Leader but he was nothing short of disgraceful.

Martin, I think you will find that the Suns fielded 9 Queenslanders in their game against the Bulldogs in Ballarat. One of the TV commentators mentioned that it was a record

The Gold Coast Suns should have a bias towards recruiting Queenslanders even if they are perceived to be less talented. Actually let all 18 clubs likewise. Having passion for your state can overcome any slight deficiency in talent.

This isn’t just a Gold Coast thing. Melbourne FC have been helped enourmously. St Kilda receives just as much funding support as the new teams. Without it, they also would not be able to pay out the full salary cap. Include Western Bulldogs in that too and they won a premiership. The AFL also sets up the Kangaroos for much needed sponsorship from the Tassie government. Hawthorn got all that compensation when Waverley was sold and won all those premierships. It’s not cause and effect but without the AFL support, many clubs wouldn’t be competitive. It’s not a zero sum situation. If there was no interference from the AFL then the league would become like the Premier League with few clubs competing and the outcomes of most games known before the teams play. It’s a balancing act. Knowing the right amount of input to ensure that all clubs have a reasonable chance to compete. Since the Gold Coast Suns were founded, the number of football teams competing in the local leagues has increased substantially. When more talent starts to get unearthed in their backyard, the AFL will be able to reduce their input into their operations. [1

Yes, I picked that bit up too. Up until the 1980s (roughly) country kids left home at seventeen or even younger if they went off to become apprentices. They were expected to deal with independence (that is grow up), as well as the long working hours and low wages. As far as I can see, young footballers away from home are very well looked after and very well paid. Children are remaining children so much longer now. Sad really.

Also Tim why is it hard for 18 year olds to leave their Mummy’s? What a joke, we have an Anzac Day game played by people who miss there Mum! What a joke, grow up! Anthony Rocca started this mummy boy crap.

As someone who lives on the coast I would much prefer the AFL spend money on a QLD TAC cup team that propping up a Tom Lynch contract. A pathway creates more fans than a player. The kids need to believe it can be them. They need to see teenagers at the club training in TAC cup shorts, we don’t have that and we need it so bad.

Yeah he should leave and chase a flag like Delideo or stay because of loyalty like Lin Jong. Both players who will never play in a flag that could have. Is Lenny Hayes less of a player because he didn’t win one? What about Gary Ablett SnR? Are they worse players that Paul Hills? No choice is right, no choice is wrong it’s just his choice.

I have spoken before on the Tom Lynch situation and honestly believe that he will leave and return to Melbourne. There is really no compelling monetary or football reason for him to stay on the Gold Coast. Anyone that mentions loyalty is deluded – that does not exist in professional sport. All things being equal he will earn pretty much the same money at Gold Coast as he would at Hawthorn/Richmond/Collingwood ($1.5M-$2M per year for a 5-6 year deal) and the facilities of all those Clubs are on par with each other. Consider the advantages that those 3 Victorian Clubs can give him versus what Gold Coast offer: - Friday Night Footy at the MCG - Blockbuster traditional rivalry games - Marquee Games (ANZAC Day or ANZAC Eve or Easter Monday or Dreamtime at the ‘G etc.) - Likely Finals Footy across the remainder of his career - Media exposure - Third party sponsorship - Closer access to his family on the Mornington Peninsula - Less Football related travel (and no more garbage China games) Gold Coast at the moment offer the very rare game that drags 18-20K through the gate and two QClashes a year. Things like weather, lifestyle, cost of living on the Gold Coast may be preferable for most people when compared to Melbourne, however footballers have short careers to make their money and set up their post football careers and the best spot to do this in Australia is one of the traditional footy cities like Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth. It is not, and should not, be up to Tom Lynch to save the Suns with his decision in September. The AFL and the former administration and recruiters (I am looking at you Scott Clayton) have set the foundations of the Club up deplorably and they are only now, 7.5 years later, getting everything in order from an off-field perspective with the on-field a long way to go. I do not think the AFL fully appreciates or understands the AFL market in South East Queensland (or Queensland overall for that matter). They pay virtually no attention to it and it doesn’t appear that the top brass are keen to even set foot in the state. Simply thinking that having two teams up here is sufficient is not going to cut it for Queenslanders and throwing the “you should support your team through thick and thin” does not work in a non-AFL state. There is not the generational support here where people are going to continually turn up to watch two teams play garbage football year-on-year. Having the Victorian AFL media continually link every kid with Victoria on their birth certificate to a Victorian Club as soon as they set foot in Queensland post draft night creates the ongoing perception that the QLD Clubs are simply a temporary stop for those kids before they go elsewhere and the cycle continues. I have no doubt the Victorian fans continue to salivate that players like Lynch, Shiel, Kelly, Raynor etc, get linked with their Clubs. FWIW I think the Suns need to chop the deadwood from the list this year and have Dew make his mark at the Draft and Trade table. If that means it gets worse before it gets better then so be it. Chugging along with B-Grade mature players is not going to do anything for this Club. Lynch will attract a First Round Compensation Pick and if the AFL are legitimate it will come directly after the Suns first pick (similar to how Melbourne landed both Petracca and Brayshaw). They should also trade out Aaron Hall (maybe second round pick) and then proceed to cut Rosa, Barlow, Rischitelli and Harbrow – their best days are well behind them and all they currently do is clog up the list. With picks from the Lynch and Hall trades they Suns would have 6 Picks inside the first Two Rounds (3 inside the First Round), which will at least give them so bargaining power if a decent player is available (unlikely) or the chance to address list issues.

Thanks Tim. A couple of thoughts (as a Suns member)... Bob Skilton played one final in his career - his last game in 1970. He did not leave South because they couldn't make the finals. No one doubts his status in the game. Robbie Flower played finals in only his last season at Melbourne (1987). Likewise, remembered as a champion. He was often the only Melbourne player selected for interstate teams. He played a long and distinguished career at a club that only threatened the finals once before his last season. I am quickly tiring of the southern, established clubs treating the expansion teams (and Brisbane) as feeder clubs. There are more ex-GWS players on other teams' books than from any other team. You have to wonder what the Suns might be doing if Prestia, Caddy, Smith, Bennell, O'Meara, Dixon, Saad were still there (and behaving themselves as professional footballers). The club will find it extremely difficult to progress when players run home as soon as an opportunity arises. Such is the lot of clubs in 'frontier' states. Southern fans and club administrators have no concept of the place of Australian football, and the AFL, in northern states. It's just not the same.

That's why a "home players" clause is factored in, which you could base on the numbers playing footy at a junior level in their market/city/state (ratio divided by club) as well as say the number of players across AFL lists who come from their market. It would then be sensitive to the realities of frontier clubs, but also factor in if/when they start to succeed over the longer term.

@James - I think it'd be easy enough, they put a trade ban on them once before. Just limit it to the Queensland clubs @Dal - have to disagree with it being applied to the whole league as I think you'd find the crappy Victorian clubs would still get first dibs over Lions/Suns in the minds of most players. I think at this point the AFL needs to make a pragamatic argument that AFL at a pro level in QLD is in the toilet and if the state gets a bit of 'unfair' assistance again for a period of time well it deserves it. like an economic stimulus package, they can turn off the tap at any time down the track once it starts to bite. AFL owes Queensland a chance to compete meaningfully in this competition if it wants people to watch, and it's up to the AFL to pull the levers available to them to make it happen

Probably too accurate

How Tom Lynch's staying or going impacts the Suns is really within the context of other players that have left, like O'Meara, Prestia, Dixon etc. He's also their (co-) captain and marquee player just coming into the prime years of his career and losing a player of that stature would be a blow to any club, let alone a fledging/struggling one.

Gary Ablett Jnr was the best player in the game when he went up there and that didn't work. One player won't change things.

As far as I can see the only people putting pressure on Lynch are journalists by continually writing articles like this. I'm sure he'll weigh up the pros and cons with the people whose opinions he cares about. The fact the Suns success or failure is perceived to be linked to a single player is a different issue. It would be interesting to compare them to the Giants - perhaps another article from you Tim? How have the two expansion clubs been run in their history to date and what are their prospects over the next 3-5 years.

What they could do is set a formula which calculates a sliding salary cap limit, allowing it to factor for things like the market a club is operating out of, their recent success (both in premierships and ladder position over X years), even recent outgoing player movement trends etc and have all clubs be measured by it. That way it's more impervious to complaints of unfairness and it's a smarter and more sensitive measure towards equalisation.

There is no "should" or "meant to be" about it, there is what is and what isn't. But basically, the AFL was set as an overseer because vested interests and the more powerful clubs would be too toxic towards a balanced competition and it would be hugely swayed towards the status quo if the clubs were in charge. There'd be no long term vision, that's for sure and a lot more reactive decision making. Essentially they didn't want to become like the old NSL, where there's too much of vested-interest-politicking. Especially dangerous in a lopsided geographical competition like the AFL is and one that has emerged out of a state league to boot.

I think the AFL would be better off giving those clubs a little extra salary cap space, rather than paying the players directly. The tricky part would be telling Sydney that they don't get any extra but the other teams north of the Murray do...

Ha. Welease the Bwians!