Tom Lynch

[Special88]

I heard commentators mention on the weekend that what we tend to lack with our forward set up, is a good mid sized half forward time who can lead up, take a decent mark and kick goals. I tend to agree it is always nice if you have the luxury to have your FF and CHF and then a mid sized lead up type.

Think back to 04, 05 when we started to make our run towards the top 4 we had Gehrig and Roo and then Hammil as the mid size forward i am talking about.. I believe Tom is in the same sort of mould as Aarron, without the same physical presence, but is that not what we drafted him as?

Anyway i know lynchy has been doing ok recently for the dragons, but would we have expected him to come along a bit sooner than he has? Maybe at least be a fringe player by now. But with those comments on the weekend it did get me thinking that i thought we drafted Tom to be that sort of player and it is what we lack sometimes to have a very polished forward line.

Of course he is young and plenty of time, but got me thinking if he had developed a bit more at this stage could be useful. Also while more of a key position player, a Jarryd Allan in his 4th year now would have been nice.

Thoughts?

 

[Plugger35]

Yeah Lynch sounds like the sort of player we could do with up forward. A bit disappointing we haven't seem more of him this season, although I think he has had a couple of injuries.

If he is showing some good form at VFL level then it might be worth giving him a game or two before the finals to see what he can do. Other young players like Stanley, Heyne and Steven have all been given opportunities up forward and done OK.

Our forward line was pretty ordinary against Collingwood so might be worth trying a few different things, obviously Riewoldt should make a difference once he is back to full fitness.

 

[stkildathunda]

i think Lynch has been playing more down back at Sandy recently thrn up forward. (i could be wrong though)

 

[Squizz]

i think Lynch has been playing more down back at Sandy recently thrn up forward. (i could be wrong though)

you're not.

 

[stkildathunda]

you're not.

I thought so. I wouldnt think that we would bring him in to play up forward if he has been playing down back. I dont know a great deal about him, but is he the type player that you could actually do that with?

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Yeah Tom is playing better in the Backline, ( Zebra's by the way, I think Dragons are the U18 team ) and other Tom ( Walsh ) is also playing better in the backline. (Sob we already have a good backline ). Cahill maybe OK but not ready yet.
No wonder our team plays such a defensive game, after years of trying ( Watts, Brooks, Allen etc ) we can't seem to get a decent tallish forward since Riewoldt/Gehrig.

Maybe Lych could play in the back and Fisher or Gwilt could try the third forward position. (Fisher was showing promise but was missed too much in the backline ).


I've heard there is now surgery available ( popular in Asia ) where they cut the bones in the legs and then set them further apart to make people taller. Maybe we could draft Ackermanis on the proviso that he........

 

[The Punter]

I think Stanley is a good tall forward prospect.

 

[Special88]

I know tom has been playing a bit down back but i think that is more for his development than anything, he was drafted as a mid sized half forward type in the mould of arron hammil. So i just wonder if we expected him to be further along by now and if he was that type of player could be very useful in our set up.

Yes he has been playing a bit down back but I am fairly confident our views for him, or at least when drafting him, were to be that lead up mid sized forward we seem to be lacking in our set up.

 

[Plugger35]

Pretty common for young forwards to play down back to help their development. Usually easier than playing up forward where you can struggle to get into the game.

We really need to develop more forward options though considering we are pretty much right for defenders. Can't see Lynch getting a game in the backline ahead of Fisher, Gilbert, Gwilt, Blake or Dawson.

 

[Special88]

Pretty common for young forwards to play down back to help their development. Usually easier than playing up forward where you can struggle to get into the game.

We really need to develop more forward options though considering we are pretty much right for defenders. Can't see Lynch getting a game in the backline ahead of Fisher, Gilbert, Gwilt, Blake or Dawson.

I am confident Tom is not being groomed as a defender, its all just part of his development. He was a first round draft pick as a mid sized lead up type i have described. Thats what lead to this thread, he had big wraps on him and when it was mentioned that is the type we lacked. Well got me thinking if we were dissappointed he hasnt come on sooner cus that type could be very useful in our set up. But he has plenty of time.

Also it was a huge blow that Jarryd Allan went down, played in a finals series in 08, imagine how he would be now 4 years into his career. That was dissappointing for him and us.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

At 192Cm he's not exactly a shortarse either. ( Though with all the rucky type players in the Saints list ATM he probably feels like he is sometimes ).

 

[Jimmy 35]

even playing back, didn't Riewoldt do the same when he was younger? against Hawks or Bulldogs in 2001 or 02' cant quite remember, but how did Rooey turn out?

 

[Special88]

even playing back, didn't Riewoldt do the same when he was younger? against Hawks or Bulldogs in 2001 or 02' cant quite remember, but how did Rooey turn out?

Yer he did, and pretty sure when Kosi won the rising star in 01 he spent the year at CHB. its a good way to learn to read the play and get the feel of the game. I am positive Ross had a view for Tom to be that Hammil type player but he's in his 2nd year. I was sure he would have at least been a fringe player by now and his type of role would definitely be useful in our set up.

Hopefully he does come along for the rest of the season and next year he earns his spot as a regular

 

[Papa Juggs]

I heard he's being developed as a key back.

The next Goddard

 

[Rooster 24]

When the subject of Tom Lynch was raised earlier this year I thought that he had to display more than just solid form at VFL level to warrant a call up. Nothing I have seen since has changed my mind and I reckon he is still a fair way off. Certainly behind Stanley and a few others. As our first pick in the 08 draft we are perhaps expecting a bit more from him. Will be a good player in time but any comparisons to Reiwolt & Goddard are way off the mark.

 

[Plugger35]

even playing back, didn't Riewoldt do the same when he was younger? against Hawks or Bulldogs in 2001 or 02' cant quite remember, but how did Rooey turn out?

Fraser Gehrig also started out as a wingman/defender when he was playing at West Coast. It wasn't until the last 5 or so years of his career that be became a full forward. Same with Neitz at Melbourne, started out as a CHB before he went to the forward line.

I'm sure there are quite a few other examples of players starting out as defenders before becoming forwards.

 

[Squizz]

I'm sure there are quite a few other examples of players starting out as defenders before becoming forwards.

But maybe (like Sam Fisher) he's a forward who can play at a higher standard as a defender. He's not going to be a bullocking forward (like a Hamill or O'Keefe) but is coming along nicely down back.

McEvoy, Stanley, Cahill, Archer, Walsh and Pattison have all been played up forward in the VFL (along with Sautner and Tregear). Leaves little room to develop Lynch as a forward, and I hope they leave him in defence.

Blake is 30yo next year and it's good to have someone ready to rock if we have any injury to a Fisher/Gilbert - notwithstanding I rate Simpkin and Gaertner in the longer term.

 

[Smaaart]

I reckon playing him in defence in the second half of the year for Sandy has been more of a development thing. He reads the play really well and (generally) disposes of it with precision. Sandy are struggling pretty badly at the moment though, so as a result he has been a bit quieter in the last few weeks.

I think he will end up playing forward. Pretty hard to fit him in at the moment with Roo/Stanley, Kozi, Schneider, McQualter, Milne etc in there. He might get a game if we rest someone before finals, but he also needs to beef up his frame a bit. Will be a good player.

 

[stkildathunda]

Well he has gotten his chance now, lets hope he stakes his claim to stay in the team.

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

Lynnnnnncccccchhhhhhyyyyyyyyyy

 

[Squizz]

Thought these comments from his profile were interesting (these attributes have shown up in the VFL):

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=70066

Jason McCartney says: When he does play down back I thought he read the play very well and he was good with his hands and had the ability to cut across in front of traffic.

Draft Camp highlights:
* =9th shuttle run/beep test 14.1
* 12th repeat sprints (six x 30m sprints) 25.67sec

 

[hayes]

A forward was taken out of the team, so you can be sure he'll be playing forward. Ross brings in like for like when he makes changes, so I don't see him re-shuffling the team. My bet is he plays forward and hopefully kicks a few goals.

 

[blues2010]

A forward was taken out of the team, so you can be sure he'll be playing forward. Ross brings in like for like when he makes changes, so I don't see him re-shuffling the team. My bet is he plays forward and hopefully kicks a few goals.

Yeah I reckon that is what will happen. I first starting watching Lynchy in under 15s and he was a backman. Then under 16s the same but when he got to 18s Stewie Loewe, who was assistant coach at his school decided he was a forward and that is where he played.

Personally I prefer him down back, but he will go okay up forward if played there.

Hope he kills them and takes the chance he is given. I think he has been Sandy's best player over the last month and is over all injury woes that kept him out for a bit. I think he may have been played before Heyney but was injured and Heyney was given his chance.

Tommy is a lifelong Saints man and is ready for the challenge.

Go Lynchy, make us all proud.

 

[Papa Juggs]

Named in the forward line but looks like he'll be a swingman.

Even Milne runs down the other end when it's needed.

Hopefully he can lead out and take marks so that Kosi and Riewoldt can stay home more.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

But maybe (like Sam Fisher) he's a forward who can play at a higher standard as a defender. He's not going to be a bullocking forward (like a Hamill or O'Keefe) but is coming along nicely down back.

McEvoy, Stanley, Cahill, Archer, Walsh and Pattison have all been played up forward in the VFL (along with Sautner and Tregear). Leaves little room to develop Lynch as a forward, and I hope they leave him in defence.

Blake is 30yo next year and it's good to have someone ready to rock if we have any injury to a Fisher/Gilbert - notwithstanding I rate Simpkin and Gaertner in the longer term.

I tend to rate Fisher very highly, and I thought he was starting to look good as a forward earlier in the year, despite all his years of playing in the backline. I tend to think that if we hadn't had all of Riewoldt, Kosi, Gehrig and Hamill, at the time he was starting out, he may well have become a famous forward by now.