Sun gun stunned by bitter barrage
GOLD Coast players have traded barbs in a tense meeting where cocaptain Tom Lynch announced his decision to quit the club and return to Melbourne.
Lynch was attacked for his lack of loyalty by several younger players in a fiery meeting on Thursday before foundation Sun David Swallow and the older players took offence and leapt to his defence.
Swallow berated the younger players for what he perceived were unfair attacks on Lynch’s character and integrity before rushing out to console his long- time friend, who was stunned at the outburst.
Touk Miller was the most outspoken in his disapproval of Lynch from among the eight- man leadership group and was followed by young players Lachie Weller, Jack Bowes and Brayden Fiorini, who were invited to the meeting to offer feedback.
Lynch later addressed the entire team in another meeting.
The Suns have confirmed there were strong words exchanged in the leadership meeting but said it demonstrated great growth from the next generation of leaders.
They insisted the leadership group was united in the belief Lynch be stripped of the captaincy.
But other insiders were uneasy at the messy nature of Lynch’s departure. Some feel he was ambushed by the presence of Weller, Bowes and Fiorini.
Lynch did not wish to comment yesterday, saying he wanted to let things settle first.
The Suns are clearly intent on overhauling their leadership group. CEO Mark Evans yesterday implied new sole skipper Steven May was unlikely to be captain next year if he did not agree to a contract extension before the start of the season.
Evans was on the front foot yesterday, declaring the AFL industry was given a black eye by Collingwood’s public courtship of Lynch.
Although he understood Pies coach Nathan Buckley and officials from other clubs needed to meet Lynch to attempt to lure him, the public nature of Collingwood’s courtship pushed forward discussions that could have waited until the end of the season. “The last two weeks haven’t been terrific for the code, I don’t think, in terms of this issue,’’ he said.
Evans said there had been no decision on whether the Suns would match any free agency offer for Lynch.
Buckley and Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew spoke on Thursday night just hours after Lynch, 25, was shown the door.
“He was just ringing more out of courtesy and I think he went on radio the next day to say that if he had his time again he probably wouldn’t have put it on the radar,” Dew said. “I think he was aware that put it out in the public eye and did change the look of it.”