Crow Lynch eyes Darwin game

A FORTNIGHT after being in intensive care because of a viral illness, Adelaide forward Tom Lynch is making a desperate bid to return to AFL ranks.

Lynch has missed Adelaide’s past two matches with viral meningitis, which caused him to lose about 5kg.

But the Crows’ forward returned on Wednesday to full training in a bid to earn selection for Saturday night’s match against Melbourne in Darwin.

“He is back to his bubbly self,” teammate Josh Jenkins said yesterday. “He will cer- tainly have to jump some hurdles at training today but, judging from his personality, he looks ready to go and at least wants to give himself every chance.

“A player as important as him, I reckon the coaching staff will be looking to give him every opportunity to play.”

Jenkins rated Lynch as “more likely than not” to return, but said a final decision would rest with doctors, rather than coaching staff.

Darwin’s heat, and Adelaide’s six-day turnaround before their following fixture against Geelong, would also be factors in any return for Lynch.

“The fitness staff and probably more so the doctor will have to make a pretty smart call on that,” Jenkins said.

“He was in the hospital, in ICU, not so long ago so . . . but, at the end of the day, I think it will be out of his hands and probably will be out of (coach Don Pyke) Pykey’s hands as well.

“If our doctors and the doctors that treated Tom as well say he’s ready to go, then I would think they will play him.”