Richmond’s boom recruit Tom Lynch has hit a wall as goals, marks dry up

Has a lack of pre-season training caught up with Richmond’s $1 million man Tom Lynch? After one goal in three games, MARK ROBINSON ponders why the Tigers boom recruit has hit a wall.

Richmond’s Tom Lynch and his troublesome knee might have hit a wall.

If it’s not his knee, then he’s in a terrible rut.

He’s kicked one goal in his past three games and while the Tigers won two of those games, Saturday night’s loss to the Western Bulldogs has exposed Lynch’s ordinary form.

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Up one end, 19-year-old Bulldog Aaron Naughton took nine contested marks and kicked five goals from his team’s 52 entries.

Up the other end, Lynch took three marks and kicked a behind from 48 entries.

Naughton took all before him, while Lynch couldn’t shake veteran defender Jackson Trengove.

Commentator Matthew Richardson noted: “Lynch is having trouble getting separation.”

Midfield delivery plays a role in any forward’s performance, but there’s something about Lynch in these past three weeks that is of concern.

Richmond needs more from Tom Lynch. Picture. Phil Hillyard

He’s lost his mojo and is playing kind of meekly and you have to wonder if the lack of pre-season training because of a knee operation has caught him out.

Fox Footy commentator Alastair Lynch, once a powerhouse forward for the Lions, believes the Tiger spearhead has lost his power and aggression.

“He was certainly restricted in his past 18 months (up here) because of knee complaints, so he has lost a lot of his power,” he said.

“He was a powerful athlete, he had a little bit of a nasty streak in him, but there’s no doubt his last couple of seasons he wasn’t 100 per cent fit and struggled to get through.

“I agree, I think he looks like he lost a bit of power.

“You can wind up into reasonable speed even though you’ve got injuries, it’s just getting off the mark, but when you’re playing key position those first couple of metres is when you need it, to get out of the blocks. He still may be sore.

Lynch had 16 goals after four games but the goals have dried up since. Pic: Michael Klein.

“The games I’ve seen, he still hasn’t captured the form of a couple of years ago, that power, that aggression that he had.”

In the first three games of the season Lynch kicked three, three and four goals.

Then he booted six goals in a matchwinning effort in Round 4 against Port Adelaide.

But he’s only taken 23 marks, 12 of which have been contested.

All up, it’s 17 goals from seven games which is a meagre return for a player who is expected to earn close to a $1 million a season over the next seven seasons.

Jonathan Brown, another powerhouse forward, saw Lynch dismantle Port Adelaide.

“He was the difference and I think he’s getting back to decent footy,” Brown said.

“I wasn’t expecting him to absolutely dominate, I reckon it’s going to take a while to get his legs back after that operation.

“He strikes me as a guy who needs continuity, continuity in his running because he’s always been a leader and his ability to read the footy in the air.

“I’m not going to judge him harshly as probably lot of people would when they purely look at his numbers.”

Brown once said Lynch would be the best key forward in the game, a comment he’s not taking back.

“It’s too early to judge seven games into his comeback,” Brown said.

“It’s been a significant injury for Tom and this for a bloke who relies on his movement as a tool and his ability to jump and take contested marks.

“We can’t judge Tom until the second half of the season.

“He's going to take time to get his strength back.

“Remember he didn’t train with the main group until two weeks before Round 1.”