Inspired by northern exposure
RICHMOND spearhead Tom Lynch says the conga line of doubters forgot one thing.
From Kebabgate to Gropegate and an early-season form slump, the Tigers’ bid for a third flag in four years appeared to have gone off the rails.
Wayne Carey was the first to call it in the second week of July.
“Despite being just five rounds in, I’m prepared to write the Tigers off as genuine
premiership contenders,” the Kangaroos great declared.
“I hope the Tigers can prove me wrong. But I just can’t help but feel the 2020 season might be a mountain too high for them to climb.”
Caroline Wilson went next, suggesting Richmond was “lacking leadership” in the Queensland hubs.
Even on the eve of last week’s preliminary finals, the AFL’s Damian Barrett trumpeted that the “Tigers will be eliminated ... the era’s finished”.
But Lynch said the Covid shutdown and subsequent evacuation from Victoria had rekindled the club’s acclaimed sense of “connection”.
“Back in Melbourne, I wouldn’t say we were struggling, but we weren’t playing our best footy due to the fact that we weren’t sort of seeing each other.
“We were (training) in groups of eight, which every team was, but we probably just struggled with that and weren’t seeing each other as much as we would have liked.”
Lynch scoffs at claims his club lacked leadership.
“Definitely not. We have got amazing leadership. We are very blessed at the club to have such strong off-field leaders,” he said.
The blowtorch has since turned on to Lynch thanks to his series of inglorious on-field incidents.
Brisbane’s Mitch Robinson called him a “wanker”. Port Adelaide’s Hamish Hartlett declared that “plenty of people” wanted to see his season end, while a Power fan chucked a cup of bundy and coke at him in Adelaide.
“Nothing will surprise me anymore this year — it’s been a strange year for everyone,”
Lynch said.
Coach Damien Hardwick had a quiet word.
“‘Dimma’ always says he likes my aggression — that’s when I’m playing my best footy — but he says, ‘Just be careful with it’,” Lynch said.
On the influence of Hardwick on the group, he said: “You know as a player that he is going to back you in. He just has that genuine care. He comes out and defends his players, which we love from our senior coach, because he really cares about us.”