Adelaide forward Tom Lynch has backed the Crows’ culture after signing for another three years
NEWLY re-signed Adelaide forward Tom Lynch says he could have commanded more money from Victorian clubs but wanted to stay at the Adelaide Crows even with all the fallout from the club’s pre-season camp.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
KEY Crow Tom Lynch claims Adelaide’s culture is at an all-time high, despite the club cutting ties with the Collective Mind group following its controversial pre-season training camp on the Gold Coast.
Lynch, who has displayed his loyalty to the club by signing a three-year contract extension when he could have commanded more dollars by returning home to Victoria, said the camp and subsequent fallout had not dented the bond between the players and the club.
“I’ve been at this club for a number of years now (seven) and I don’t feel that we’ve had such a well connected group as we have now,” he said.
“It (culture) is at its highest level. The noise has been frustrating in terms of the incorrect (speculation surrounding the camp and Collective Mind) but the actual facts are is that the reason I am staying is because of the people at the football club.
“I’m really lucky to be a part of that and this is a good place to be.”
The Crows officially ended their partnership with Collective Mind on Saturday due to some concerns from the players over the program.
Lynch said some aspects of the program worked for him but that it was “a collective decision from everyone at the footy club that we’d move on”.
Ace forward Lynch, who is understood to have re-signed for about $600,000 a season, said he considered offers from Victoria but was never close to leaving Adelaide.
“I always wanted to stay here,” he said.
The 27-year-old hopes to return from a side injury for Saturday night’s clash with high-flying West Coast at Adelaide Oval but admitted he needs to prove his fitness at the club’s main training session this week.
Lynch said Rory Sloane, Rory Laird and Luke Brown are all on track to return from injury against the Eagles.
‘Long way from Birregurra’: Swans’ defensive duo who defied odds
Lewis Melican and Tom McCartin are holding the fort as equals in Sydney’s backline. SCOTT GULLAN tracks their journey from growing up 10 minutes apart to the biggest stage in football.
Tragedy, triumph and the phone call that changed everything
Logan Evans started 2023 as a highly-rated draft prospect. But in the space of two months, his life was turned upside down. The teenager was then hit with another blow in November – before the phone rang.