Gillon McLachlan defends free agency with Tom Lynch expected to leave Gold Coast

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan insists free agency isn’t football’s “Armageddon” following predictions the system will eventually cripple clubs at the bottom of the ladder.

Tom Lynch is tipped to leave the Suns. Picture: AAP

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan insists free agency isn’t football’s “Armageddon” following predictions the system will eventually cripple clubs at the bottom of the ladder.

With Gold Coast preparing for Tom Lynch’s departure, Suns chairman Tony Cochrane yesterday told the Herald Sun he feared the club would continually be raided unless free agency was overhauled.

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But McLachlan said free agency shouldn’t be blamed if Tom Lynch decided to leave the Suns.

He added most free agents have opted to stay at their clubs this season.

“Players leave clubs because of either personal issues, environmental issues, whatever reason people change,” McLachlan said.

“Relatively few free agents have left their clubs. I believe player loyalty is extraordinary across the industry.

“Look at how many players have re-signed? And the conversation ends up (being) there is not enough player movement, no one is moving, no one is leaving their clubs.

“That is the biggest issue right now that I’m hearing from clubs, that there is not enough player movement …”

“So if Tom Lynch goes to Richmond or goes wherever, in the end he’s made a decision about his career, Gold Coast through a mechanism will get rewarded (with a compensation draft pick).”

Tom Lynch is tipped to leave Gold Coast at the end of the season. Picture: AAP

Cochrane said free agency would create a two-tier system in the AFL.

“We keep being raided by the top end of town. We better find an answer quick,” Cochrane told the Herald Sun.

“Free agency is slowly and surely going to do for the AFL what Colonel Sanders did for the super funds of chickens. He chops their heads off,” Cochrane told the Herald Sun today.

“It is one-way traffic. If we don’t come up with something to modify it or get it into balance it is slowly going to turn the AFL into the EPL.”

McLachlan disagreed free agency harmed clubs.

“I’d actually go around the grounds with every star free agent that’s left and it hasn’t had an impact,” he told SEN this morning.

“I think the history of trades and free agency, people are free to make the decisions they do, by and large they’re very loyal. I haven’t seen any Armageddon stories people talk about.

“And free agency is a bit of a proxy. If Tom Lynch or any other player wants to go, they’ll find a way to go. Free agency makes it easier a bit easier than through the trade mechanism but they all go if they want to.”

Earlier this week, Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley revealed he had he met with Lynch, to the surprise of many.

McLachlan said he accepted players will meet with rival clubs but is uncomfortable with those details becoming public knowledge.

“I don’t like it,” McLachlan said.

“It’s accepted that people meet (but) I don’t know why we need to talk about.

“People say ‘don’t be naive and let’s be grown up about it’ but if people are meeting other people in my workplace, I don’t want to know … because people have to evaluate their decisions, they have to have meetings, they have to make decisions, this is their careers and futures.

“I accept they’re going to meet.

“But it’s an emotional game, I’m not sure the need to say anything other than ‘I’m not going to comment’.”

Suns coach Stuart Dew said he was unfazed by Buckley’s admission.

“That is the current environment we’re in,” Dew said today.

“So we certainly knew that time would come and we understand he has got the decision to make.

“Clubs and players need to be well informed so we’re not naive to think that these things don’t go on.”

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