Tom Lynch torches Carlton with career-high eight goals

GOLD Coast chief Mark Evans said pre-game the Suns wouldn’t pay overs to keep Tom Lynch but after star forward’s career-high eight goals against Carlton, the club may have to reconsider that position.

Tom Lynch starred for the Suns with eight goals. Picture: AAP

WHEREVER Tom Lynch plays his football next year he’ll be well-paid.

And he will be worth every cent.

Speaking before Gold Coast’s meeting with Carlton, Suns chief executive Mark Evans suggested the club wouldn’t sell the farm to keep Lynch.

“You’d never want to underpay a player, but you want to convince the player that you’re trying to solve the collective puzzle, which is keep as much player talent as you can,” Evans said on SEN.

Two hours later, after Lynch had slammed through a career-high eight goals, you had to wonder if Evans was reassessing that philosophy.

The hottest free agency prospect of the year was untouchable at Etihad Stadium, seemingly adding dollars to his next contract by the minute.

Lynch finished with 8.1 — six coming in a blistering first half — in a surgical display that stood in direct contrast to Carlton’s hesitant and indecisive fumble-fest.

Almost all of those goals came on Liam Jones, who couldn’t be blamed totally given he was often caught out of position when teammates up the ground coughed up possession.

Tom Lynch led the Suns to a big win over Carlton with eight goals. Picture: AAP

Indeed, while Gold Coast may have played in a flood last week, the Blues drowned in a tsnaumi of mistakes.

Like always, that was part self-inflicted and part opposition pressure, of which the Suns brought plenty.

But in the main, they brought the heat Carlton couldn’t handle and the final score was 15.11 (101) to 9.13 (67.

Stewart Dew’s side is now 2-0, and while they won’t play a home game until Round 11 due to the Commonwealth Games, they look organised, cohesive and their intensity appeared to rattle the Blues.

The changes don’t appear to be limited to structure either.

There appears to be a much harder edge mentally. Every time they were challenged, the Suns hit back and hit back hard.

Despite winning by 34 points, the Suns laid 93 tackles — 25 more than Carlton after laying 98 against North Melbourne last week.

Carlton had 16 more inside 50s, but never has a game been more about quality over quantity.

Brendon Bolton’s side, so impressive offensively against Richmond in Round 1, repeatedly committed basic mistakes by foot, hand and dropped more marks than you can remember.

Marc Murphy kicks the ball clear for the Blues. Picture: Getty Images

Matthew Kreuzer’s late withdrawal with a groin injury meant Jarrod Witts had his way with Levi Casboult, who looked lost in the ruck.

Witts, best on ground in the pouring rain against the Kangaroos, had 14 hitouts to advantage to Casboult’s three and six clearances to one.

Jacob Weitering looks a shadow of the player who made such an impression in his 2016 debut season.

Starting forward, he had one kick at halftime before moving onto a rampant Lynch in the second half.

Patrick Cripps couldn’t reprise his season-opening heroics and despite a healthy set of numbers — 20 contested possessions and 10 clearances — couldn’t get going opposed mainly to the brilliant Jarryd Lyons (36 touches — 26 contested — and 14 clearances).

Desperate for a spark, Bolton shifted Liam Lones into the ruck and Casboult to full forward, but when the skill level is that poor you’re just shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic.

CARLTON 1.1 4.4 6.8 9.13 (67)

GOLD COAST 5.5 8.7 12.9 15.11 (101)

GOALS

Blues: Wright 2, C.Curnow 2, Cripps, Fisher, Weitering, Lamb, Murphy

Suns: Lynch 8, Martin 3, MacPherson, Lyons, Ainsworth, Young

BEST

Blues: E.Curnow, Cripps, Charlie Curnow, Simpson

Suns: Lynch, Lyons, Witts, Swallow, Martin, Holman, Bowes

INJURIES

Blues: Kreuzer (groin) replaced in selected side by Polson, Byrne (leg)

Suns: Holman (cut under left eye)

Reports: Nil

Official crowd: 28,025 at Etihad Stadium