LYNCH ESCAPES BAN OVER SHOVE Pies add tall timber for Swans’ clash

TOM Lynch has escaped suspension for his head shove on Brisbane Lions opponent Alex Witherden in an act that a Richmond great suggested was an attempt to “get himself going”.

The Richmond spearhead copped a $500 penalty — down from $750 with an early guilty plea — for the act, which match review officer Michael Christian classified as “misconduct”.

Richmond great and former full-forward Matthew Richardson said he had the sense Lynch had a more physical intent against Brisbane.

“You could tell right from the first bounce that he was trying to get himself into the game, he was trying to get a little bit more aggressive,” the

Hall of Fame member said on 3AW on Wednesday night.

“There was a lot of push and shove going on ... I think he was trying to get himself going.

“As a key forward at times when you’re involved in big marking contests throughout the whole game, sometimes you’ve got to be a bit angry. You just hit the contest a bit harder in the air and you take a couple of contested marks.”

COLLINGWOOD has recalled tall duo Jordan Roughead and Ben Reid for its Thursday night clash with Sydney.

Roughead, who missed the team’s Round 9 loss to Fremantle, earned his recall having sat out last week in an effort to “share the load” among the team in the taxing football frenzy, coach Nathan Buckley said.

Reid, who has battled soft tissue injuries, will play his first game of the season and replaced Darcy Cameron.

Rucking forward Mason Cox was again overlooked, but Buckley said a lack of training form had resulted in fringe players being trapped in a “nexus” and missing out.

Small forward Callum

Brown will also return after an ankle injury, with Travis Varcoe to miss due to personal reasons. Trey Ruscoe — who was taken with pick 55 in last year’s draft — has been named for his AFL debut, with Sam Wicks to debut for Sydney.

St Kilda will face Gold Coast and welcome back Ben Long and Dean Kent, at the expense of Shane Savage and Matt Parker.