Martin ignores Lynch noise
JACK Martin says Tom Lynch’s potential exit from the Suns won’t influence whether he stays or goes next year as Gold Coast try to prevent a mass exodus of their best players.
If Lynch walks out on Gold Coast at the end of the season to join Hawthorn, Richmond or Collingwood, understood to all be in pursuit of the restricted free agent, he could start a chain of events that would leave the already struggling club stripped of all the talent it tried to build the club around.
Foundation players David Swallow, Sam Day, Tom Nicholls and Rory Thompson will be off contract and restricted free agents next year alongside Alex Sexton.
Martin, Callum Ah Chee, Pearce Hanley, Peter Wright and Touk Miller will also be off contract at the end of 2019.
Gold Coast have lost Jaeger O’Meara (Hawthorn), Gary Ablett (Geelong) and Dion Prestia (Richmond) in recent seasons, with Lynch watching the latter win a premiership last year.
Gold Coast would reach a low it may not recover from if several of their best join the queue out the door next year but Martin said the outcome of Lynch’s decision wouldn’t affect his own choice in 2019.
“No, I’ll just worry about what I’m doing,” Martin said.
“All that contract stuff happens behind closed doors and we just go about our business every day. All that will take care of itself.”
Martin is the best ball user on Gold Coast’s list, a trait that has forced him to sacrifice his own preferred position at forward to play a role down back or through the midfield.
The 23-year-old. taken with pick one in the 2012 mini-draft by the Suns, has played 80 games and finished third in last year’s club champion award behind winner Gary Ablett and runner-up David Swallow.
The West Australian product praised the influence of new coach Stuart Dew.
“He has been fantastic since he came to the footy club,” Martin said. “He is massive on family and he has driven that from day one.
“He is staying upbeat and that is the type of person he is.
“He is keeping everyone engaged and is really connected to the group.”