TIGERS’ LYNCHPIN

Tom too crucial to rest for Demons clash

TOM Lynch has pulled up so well off a four-day break that Richmond has ditched plans to rest him and will play him alongside returning star Jack Riewoldt.

Richmond had initially slated Round 5 as the ideal time to rest Lynch off summer PCL surgery but instead will reunite him with key position star Riewoldt.

The Tigers take on Melbourne tomorrow night with Riewoldt a certain starter but captain Trent Cotchin having suffered a setback with his hamstring injury.

Coach Damien Hardwick said yesterday he couldn’t quite get to 100 per cent pace in his running sessions, with the Tigers to back him off instead of playing him in Round 6.

Hardwick is adamant tomorrow’s opponent, Melbourne, is a force to be reckoned with, saying Simon Goodwin’s Demons are an “outstanding football side”.

Lynch had his first quiet game in the win over Sydney with two points but Hardwick believes he has a massive influence even when he isn’t kicking goals.

“If there was a week when we thought about it, this was the one, but he pulled up remarkably well from the game.

“His output according to his feedback wasn’t what he hoped for, but he crashed the pack and made contests. He crashed a pack for Dustin Martin at a crucial time.

“He will only get better and fitter. He is training once a week but in the next month or two months he will go to twice a week.”

Riewoldt has proved his fitness after a medial strain and a wrist injury but Cotchin can’t get up to speed after a Round 2 hamstring tear.

“Trent hasn’t responded the way we would have liked with his hamstring so he is a bit further away,” he said.

“We would have envisaged he would have played next week but it’s not going to be the case. So, he will need to get through a bit of rehab to get him back to where he needs to be.”

Hardwick will ensure his players give sufficient respect to the Demons despite their 1-4 win loss record.

“They have a couple of things in their game not to the level they would like but we know in this game you can flick a switch and your game comes back. They are a tough and hard footy side that plays the game the way I like it to be played and we look forward to an incredible challenge.”