‘Needs to get out’: ‘Embarrassment’ theory explains Lynch’s ugly punch

The future of under-fire Richmond forward Tom Lynch has been questioned with a massive suspension set to be handed down.

The future of under-fire Richmond forward Tom Lynch has been queried, as he awaits suspension for his gruesome hit behind play on Adelaide defender Jordan Butts.

Lynch, 32, is expected to receive a punishment that rubs him out of playing any football for at least four weeks — with Fox Sports News’ David Zita reporting the AFL will push for a five-week ban.

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The two-time premiership player was hardly sighted against the Crows on Sunday afternoon at the MCG, and failed to register a disposal in the first two-and-a-half quarter with five free kicks against him to his name as his angst increased.

Speaking on Fox Footy’s AFL 360, St Kilda great Leigh Montagna and host Gerard Whateley dissected the incident which has drawn ugly comparisons in nature to Barry Hall’s punch on Brent Staker in 2008, and Andrew Gaff’s blow on a young Andrew Brayshaw 10 years later.

MELBOURNE, JUNE 29, 2025: AFL Football Round 16 - Richmond Cats V Adelaide Crows at the MCG. Tom Lynch of the Richmond Tigers gets heated. Picture: Mark Stewart

“You sense he had the red mist going ... he was already giving away free kicks. I think he’d given away five free kicks before he got a disposal,” Montagna said on Monday night.

“To be fair, I don’t think anyone would expect to see what we saw; that caught everyone by surprise. We haven’t seen anything like that for years, 2018 might’ve been the (Andrew) Gaff incident.

“I wonder whether there was a frustration about his own form and how he was playing. Whether there was a sense of embarrassment and frustration that he couldn’t touch the footy, and it just got too much for him.

Lynch, who has begun preliminary discussions with Richmond for a one-year extension at Punt Road, remains out of contract beyond 2025 at a club continuing to blood a plethora of young talent.

Out of the finals race and in the back half of their season, a five-week suspension would leave Lynch available for just three more matches this season. Subsequently, it could force both him and the club to think about life without each other.

“The whole industry needs to do its job here, and that’s not to get beguiled by the lawyers. The right level of punishment is a confronting one,” Whateley said.

“Nash gets his four weeks for the round-house on (Gryan) Miers and the ball is there. It’s agricultural, the ball is there. This has to be the biggest suspension of the year.

“I also think with Lynch it’s an interesting moment. It’s highly unlikely he’s going to play in the next successful Richmond team ... he’s going to have to find a way to manage all this.

“He’s going to have to manage this for the remainder of his playing days, and if he can’t, he probably needs to get out of it.”

Fox Footy expert Jack Riewoldt has previously floated the idea of his former teammate moving back to his former club the Gold Coast Suns and finish his career playing under three-time premiership coach Damien Hardwick.

Whichever way his situation is looked at though, Montagna believes his mindset needs to alter quickly if he is to continue mentoring young Tiger talent.

“He has to completely change his mindset ... he can’t let the frustrations boil over. He needs to start thinking about the team instead of himself; that is his role in the side now,” Montagna ended by saying.

“Maybe he says, if it’s too hard for him, put his hand up and say: ‘Maybe I can go to a contender for another year or two’ if he thinks he’s got it in him.

“He’s going to have a lot of work to do on himself ... he’s let himself and the team down.”

Originally published as ‘Needs to get out’: ‘Embarrassment’ theory explains Lynch’s ugly punch