Aggro brings out best, says Lynch
RICHMOND spearhead Tom Lynch says aggression brings out his best and described a couple of his reports this year as “overblown”.
Lynch, who crushed Grand Final opponent Geelong with five goals in last year’s preliminary final, claimed on Monday that he did not mean to drop his left knee into Dougal Howard’s shoulder in the semi- final.
The $ 1- million recruit has become public enemy No. 1 this year and was sledged by Port Adelaide kid Xavier Duursma in Friday night’s preliminary final.
Lynch has been charged by match review officer Michael Christian five times in 2020, but the key forward has only paid $ 3250 in fines and has not been suspended. He was cited for striking Michael Hurley, Sam Collins and Jarrod Witts and for misconduct against Alex Witherden and Howard.
“A couple of incidents might’ve been overblown,” Lynch said in the backdrop to Metricon Stadium, his old home ground, on Monday.
“To be honest, I actually didn’t mean to ( knee) Dougal Howard. I know it looked bad, it wasn’t a great look for the game, ( and) I don’t want to be portrayed as that.
“( But) I didn’t actually realise I did it on the day. People probably won’t believe me but it doesn’t really matter.
“You’re going hard at the football so sometimes small things may pop up. I know I play my best footy when I’m aggressive going for that footy.”
In 10 years the former Gold Coast captain has been suspended for just one match – a rough conduct charge which came in the 2015 pre- season.
Lynch has been heavily booed this finals series and is set to cop it from Cats fans at the Gabba on Saturday night.
“I don’t think you want to be disliked, but to be honest you just value the people you care about the most,” he said.
“It can be false when people love you and they don’t know you or if they hate you and they don’t know you. I don’t think you can read too much into it, but the main thing is the people that know you closest you care about what they think and their opinions of you.”
Lynch is shooting for two flags in as many years since leaving the Suns and has the chance to kick the Tigers to back- to- back premierships for the first time in 46 years ( 1973- 74).
The spearhead is expecting to resume hostilities with Harry Taylor, who he kicked four goals against in the 2019 preliminary final.
Dustin Martin appeared to calm Lynch down with a joke during Friday’s triumph at Adelaide Oval. “He just told me to kick it to my mate in the back,” Lynch said.
“It was a bit of a joke at training, we were saying we’ll get one of our mates behind the goals. It was true – aim for something small and kick through it.”