Tom Lynch might get a game against freo if

[hayes66]

he cures cancer, riewoldts goal kicking and goddards form and then when he does we should put him on pavlich just so he gets smashed and we can drop him back to sandy again.

I noticed he was in the best again and is yet to even make it as an emergency despite also looking good in the nab cup.

In the mean time polo, a bloke who couldnt get a game a richmond, pulls on a glove runs around a bit and is straight in.

[saintsRrising]

Not much point comparing him with Polo...as they are up for entirely different positions.

with no Hayes or Montagna..and with the saints getting smashed in clerances and contested possessions on the ball we need to try another mid...and from those outside the 22 Polo is the best candidate and is worth trying out.

[skeptic]

Whilst I agree with you, your comparing apples to oranges

Polo is an experienced, hardened, inside midfielder, in a team that doesn't have them.

Lynch is competing for a spot where we have a plethora of options in Fisher, Blake, Gram, Goddard, Gilbert, Clarke etc etc

[SainterK]

With Blake out of the side, I'd say Lynch's chances are improving.

[Spinner]

Unfotunately the coaches have to pick the best 22 by position.

Not the best 22 full stop.

[Thinline]

Polo v Lynch
Chalk v cheese

[plugger66]

Polo v Lynch
Chalk v cheese

So they are similar?

[Thinline]

Polo v Lynch
Chalk v cheese

So they are similar?

Time to clean out your fridge, Plugger!

[meher baba]

What is it with Lynch? Is it the draft pick we used to get him?

We've seen Lynch in one AFL game and a couple of NAB cup games and he was way off AFL standard. This is his third year at the club and he's not cutting it TBH. It's not like he's a Gilbert or a Gwilt or now a Siposs who made some early appearances at the top level and, although they perhaps weren't quite ready, showed a fair bit of class.

And he's not a midfielder and, apparently, not a forward either: the teo positions in which we are desperately short ATM. Is he a CHB who could play in place of Blake? I don't think so.

In short: he's not that great and we don't need him. So what's the hurry?

[gringo]

So lynch needs to be played in a position that doesn't stress him too much? He has been playing well at Sandy since being moved back e few weeks ago. The guy has had very little impact until now. Polo is a seasoned senior player and an adaptable utility. Richmond were rebuilding and grabbed a new coach. He hasn't got games the same as Tuck. Doesn't do much wrong just not in the forward planning of the Tigers

[InkerSaint]

You do know Lynch was poleaxed and had to be stretchered off the ground yesterday?

I'd love to see him get a call-up but let's just hope he isn't injured and is fit for the assignment.

[St Ick]

Have you actually seen Tom Lynch play?? No, he is not like Gilbert, as he can actually kick the ball, I don't think he should take Gilberts spot but still, he is good enough. Yes, he was a high draft pick, which shouldn't mean he automatically get a game, understand that, but consistantly in the best players in the twos should mean he should be getting a look in.

He has been given one game where he was towelled up by Dustin Fletcher in a game where St Kilda did not have one winner out on the ground. Many a player with more experience have been beaten by Fletcher!

IMO he should be considered ahead of the likes of Clarke, Simpkin, Johnson, Siposs, Blake and Gamble based on form alone.

The other question is do we have a spot for both Bakes and Polo in the same team? I know its off topic but i can work it back, but with Steven and Armo in the team as inside mids, maybe one of these guys can make way for a Tom Lynch. I feel sorry for the kid, we used to say it about Sweeney, then Gwilt, then Armo, now Lynch. There must be something else stopping him from being considered.

[plugger66]

Have you actually seen Tom Lynch play?? No, he is not like Gilbert, as he can actually kick the ball, I don't think he should take Gilberts spot but still, he is good enough. Yes, he was a high draft pick, which shouldn't mean he automatically get a game, understand that, but consistantly in the best players in the twos should mean he should be getting a look in.

He has been given one game where he was towelled up by Dustin Fletcher in a game where St Kilda did not have one winner out on the ground. Many a player with more experience have been beaten by Fletcher!

IMO he should be considered ahead of the likes of Clarke, Simpkin, Johnson, Siposs, Blake and Gamble based on form alone.

The other question is do we have a spot for both Bakes and Polo in the same team? I know its off topic but i can work it back, but with Steven and Armo in the team as inside mids, maybe one of these guys can make way for a Tom Lynch. I feel sorry for the kid, we used to say it about Sweeney, then Gwilt, then Armo, now Lynch. There must be something else stopping him from being considered.

Pretty sure Steven isnt an inside mid. He is a HFF or very rarely goes on the ball. If he was an inside mid though we wouldnt be replacing him with Lynch. Mids win the game these days and we need as many as we can get.

[St Ick]

Have you actually seen Tom Lynch play?? No, he is not like Gilbert, as he can actually kick the ball, I don't think he should take Gilberts spot but still, he is good enough. Yes, he was a high draft pick, which shouldn't mean he automatically get a game, understand that, but consistantly in the best players in the twos should mean he should be getting a look in.

He has been given one game where he was towelled up by Dustin Fletcher in a game where St Kilda did not have one winner out on the ground. Many a player with more experience have been beaten by Fletcher!

IMO he should be considered ahead of the likes of Clarke, Simpkin, Johnson, Siposs, Blake and Gamble based on form alone.

The other question is do we have a spot for both Bakes and Polo in the same team? I know its off topic but i can work it back, but with Steven and Armo in the team as inside mids, maybe one of these guys can make way for a Tom Lynch. I feel sorry for the kid, we used to say it about Sweeney, then Gwilt, then Armo, now Lynch. There must be something else stopping him from being considered.

Pretty sure Steven isnt an inside mid. He is a HFF or very rarely goes on the ball. If he was an inside mid though we wouldnt be replacing him with Lynch. Mids win the game these days and we need as many as we can get.

Fair call, maybe I see him as a future inside mid but not quite there yet. Where will Polo play? I would have thought it would be a more Baker role, which is where I was going with freeing up a possie for Lynch - I went about the thought in a weird way though.

[hayes66]

i wasnt trying to compare lynch and polo, there are many examples of players being selected quickly before lynch, that was just the one I was using as an example.
But as for polo and people saying he wasnt in tigs plans because of a new coach, thats because his no good and his mate tuck isnt much better. Im going to make a presumption Polo will play ok today and he'll hold his spot for maybe even most of the year. But when push comes to shove he wont be good enough, he wouldnt have improved the team and this time next year we will all be saying polo is no good. Like Dempster, eddy, peake we will waste 20 games on him before we realise he hasnt improved us when richmond already did the work for us.
Clarke has been dropped and put back in, peake dropped, dempster called to be dropped and lynch never even made to emergency. I love baker but his not helping us much. I know these players are different but you dont have to switch players who are identical.
Lynch might not be good enough but lets give him 20 games to see if he can improve the team not 1.
As some of you have said polo is playing because his got experience, so immediately today he would play better than lynch. But maybe lynch would be a better player if he had the 60 games or whatever polo has had.

[meher baba]

The idea that Lynch could replace Gilbert is a joke. Gilbert is a highly unusual sort of player: strong and fast, he can break the lines like a rugby centre (a Greg Inglis if you like).

If Lynch could replace anyone, it would be Gwilt in his quarterback role. You all say he is a good kick like Gwilt. He isn't that tall like Gwilt. I don't know if he is better overhead than Gwilt (Gwilt isn't very good), but he can't be that great overhead or he'd be cutting it as a medium-sized forward.

But would anyone seriously want Lynch instead of Gwilt? And, if not, what's role he going to play?

[meher baba]

And don't tell me that he replace Blake, Dempster, Baker or McQualter. Is he playing a role like any of these guys now? All of these blokes play in positions where they have to be hard and tough? Is Lynch hard and tough?
He looks more of a "receiver" to me. In which case he has to displace Gwilt or Gilbert. Or become an AFL-standard medium forward.

The poster who said that you select players for positions, not the best 22 players, has it right. Except that I don't believe Lynch is in our best 22.

[SaintPav]

I wonder if he will end up being better than his mate at the Dees.

[hayes66]

why do players have to be replaced by identical twins. Maybe lynch isnt tough like mcqualter blake baker dempster but maybe he uses better and offers something which none of these blokes do. Whats this rule replacing like for like, yeah lets draft another dempster so when his gone we can fill his place. Maybe a different type of player will work better, our team dynamic isnt exactly setting the world on fire. There were a few players against carlton which i thought definitely werent working, no matter how hard they are. We are not the best team of all time so how come players have to be replaced like for like.

[stevie]

If he turns out as good as the TL from the Suns, I' ll be very happy

[meher baba]

why do players have to be replaced by identical twins. Maybe lynch isnt tough like mcqualter blake baker dempster but maybe he uses better and offers something which none of these blokes do. Whats this rule replacing like for like, yeah lets draft another dempster so when his gone we can fill his place. Maybe a different type of player will work better, our team dynamic isnt exactly setting the world on fire. There were a few players against carlton which i thought definitely werent working, no matter how hard they are. We are not the best team of all time so how come players have to be replaced like for like.

Well, that's how the famous Ross Lyon game plan works: players play particular roles and he replaces like for like. If you are proposing a return to the free-flowing style of the GT-era, I'd be all for it, but you won't get too many others on here supporting you.

However, even if we were to start playing a more open style, our main problem at the moment is that we can't win the contested ball. If Lynch could help us with that, I'd want him to come straight in. Or if he could play forward like he's supposed to be able to do. But he can't seem to do either of these things, which is why the likes of Cripps and Siposs have vaulted past him.

[bergholt]

If Lynch could replace anyone, it would be Gwilt in his quarterback role. You all say he is a good kick like Gwilt. He isn't that tall like Gwilt.

tall like gwilt? isn't gwilt barely 190cm? lynch is a bit taller than gwilt, i would have thought.

I don't know if he is better overhead than Gwilt (Gwilt isn't very good), but he can't be that great overhead or he'd be cutting it as a medium-sized forward.

nah, that's crap. sam fisher is very good overhead and yet he's a horrible forward - we've seen that tried. maybe lynch is good overhead and would make a good defender but a poor forward. i don't know if that's true, but your logic sux.

[hayes66]

Im not necessarily saying we just throw out the whole game plan im just saying that some of the blokes in our team are not superstars so they dont need to be like for like. Im sure that wont throw out the whole game plan. Id just like to try things that might make us better. I dont think tom lynch will come straight in and be a good player but maybe after 20 odd games wasted on blokes i know arnt good enough, we can find out.
After the apprenticeship and all that crap armo went through he still needed games experience to really find form

[spert]

Another case at the Saints, where not much thought goes into the recruiting process of building a team to win a premiership. Lynch may be a forward, may be a back..I don't think RL knows what to do with some players..next thing you know they are delisted or traded, and in the Saints case, traded for discards from other clubs. I would use Lynch in place of Raph in the future, as a half back. Other than that, I just hope our new players like Siposs and Cripps really fight hard and keep their place. I would like to see a really big effort from Steven over the next couple of games too...especially on the scoreboard.

[Bardon Saint]

I think that Lynch would be a great replacement for Raph at half back. I think that the role that Lynch would/could play is similar to the role that Raph has had. I'd rather Gram more consistently off a wing, and for lynch to hold down a hb position. He's had a go up forward and can't crack it. By all reports he's great down back. People have said that when playing down back for Sandy, he plays similar to Fisher. Fisher too was recruited as a fwd. Maybe Lynch needs a go down back for the seniors at the expense of an out of form Raph?