| Tom Lynch | |
| Fullname: | Thomas Telford Lynch |
| Nickname: | Tig, The Chief |
| Birth Date: | 15 September 1990 |
| Originalteam: | Beaumaris Haileybury College Sandringham Dragons (TAC Cup) |
| Draftpick: | No. 13, 2008 national draft |
| Debutdate: | Round 18, 2010 |
| Debutstadium: | Etihad Stadium |
| Height: | 191 cm |
| Weight: | 87 kg |
| Position: | Key forward |
| Years1: | 2009–2011 |
| Games Goals1: | 6 (4) |
| Years2: | 2012–2021 |
| Games Goals2: | 158 (199) |
| Years3: | 2022 |
| Games Goals3: | 0 (0) |
| Games Goalstotal: | 164 (203) |
| Statsend: | 2022 season |
| Coachyears1: | 2023– |
| Coachclub1: | (VFL) |
| Coachgames Wins1: | 19 (10–9–0) |
| Coachstatsend: | 2023 |
| Careerhighlights: |
|
Thomas Telford Lynch[1] (born 15 September 1990) is a former professional Australian rules football player who played for St Kilda Football Club, Adelaide Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Lynch was recruited by from Sandringham Dragons Under 18 TAC Cup team with pick 13 in the 2008 National Draft.
Although Lynch was St Kilda's first pick in the 2008 AFL draft, he did not play senior football in 2009.[2] He made his AFL debut in round 18 of the 2010 season against .[3] He had five disposals and was dropped for the following week's match.[4]
Lynch played five games in 2011 and kicked four goals, including two in a game against .[5] At the end of the season, Lynch was traded from St Kilda to Adelaide as part of a three-way deal with, who received ruckman Ivan Maric from Adelaide whilst trading pick 37 to St Kilda.[6]
Lynch played his first game for the Crows in the first round of the 2012 season.[7] He went on to play six games in his first season at the Crows, but he became a regular member of the team in the 2013 season, playing 17 matches and leading Adelaide's goalkicking with 33 goals. This included a 10-goal game against, making Lynch only the third player to score ten or more goals in a game for Adelaide.[8] In 2014, however, Lynch suffered a wretched run of injuries, including a dislocated shoulder in a pre-season trial game;[9] a broken jaw in a collision with 's Jack Viney in round 7,[10] and, after a late-season return, a season-ending fractured neck in a collision against the in Round 20.[11] In total, he played eight games, and only one where he was available and uninjured for the whole game: a 25-disposal, two-goal effort against the in Round 6.
Lynch established himself in Adelaide's forward line in 2015, playing all 23 games, kicking 32 goals and having 30 goal assists, the most for the season by any player. Late in the season he signed a new three-year contract with the Crows.[12]
In Round 7 of 2017, he was tackled to the ground heavily by player Jarrad Waite in the second quarter, getting concussed and not being able to return to the ground for the rest of the match.[13] Later in the season, Lynch was hospitalized with viral meningitis, but he bounced back from it in Round 17 against, managing 27 possessions, 11 marks and three goals for the match.[14]
He was not offered a contract by Adelaide for the 2022 season and was delisted at the conclusion of the 2021 season.
After being delisted by Adelaide, Lynch joined North Melbourne as a development coach in November 2021. He was later signed to the club's list ahead of the 2022 AFL season as part of the supplemental selection period (SSP). Lynch officially retired from playing on 31 May 2022, to make space for the mid-season draft.
In October 2022 Lynch was awarded the full time VFL senior coaching position of the North Melbourne Football Club.[15]
Lynch has served as an ambassador for the RSPCA greyhound adoption plan.[16]
Statistics are correct to end of season 2022[17] |- style="background:#eaeaea;"! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2010| style="text-align:center" | | 29 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 3 || 2 || 5 || 3 || 0 || 0.0 || 1.0 || 3.0 || 2.0 || 5.0 || 3.0 || 0.0|-! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2011| style="text-align:center" | | 29 || 5 || 4 || 1 || 28 || 26 || 54 || 16 || 13 || 0.8 || 0.2 || 5.6 || 5.2 || 10.8 || 3.2 || 2.6|- style="background:#eaeaea;"! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2012| style="text-align:center" | | 27 || 6 || 7 || 5 || 50 || 9 || 59 || 31 || 8 || 1.2 || 0.8 || 8.3 || 1.5 || 9.8 || 5.2 || 1.3|- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2013| style="text-align:center" | | 27 || 17 || 33 || 20 || 199 || 95 || 294 || 125 || 31 || 1.9 || 1.2 || 11.7 || 5.6 || 17.3 || 7.4 || 1.8|- style="background:#eaeaea;"! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2014| style="text-align:center" | | 27 || 8 || 7 || 7 || 68 || 41 || 109 || 35 || 13 || 0.9 || 0.9 || 8.5 || 5.1 || 13.6 || 4.4 || 1.6|- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2015| style="text-align:center" | | 27 || 23 || 32 || 16 || 292 || 143 || 435 || 158 || 43 || 1.4 || 0.7 || 12.7 || 6.2 || 18.9 || 6.9 || 1.9|- style="background:#eaeaea;"! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2016| style="text-align:center" | | 27 || 23 || 42 || 21 || 277 || 171 || 448 || 150 || 45 || 1.8 || 0.9 || 12.0 || 7.4 || 19.4 || 6.5 || 2.0|- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2017| style="text-align:center" | | 27 || 23 || 31 || 23 || 297 || 175 || 472 || 163 || 50 || 1.4 || 1.0 || 12.9 || 7.6 || 20.5 || 7.1 || 2.2|- style="background:#eaeaea;"! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2018| style="text-align:center" | | 27 || 17 || 16 || 8 || 201 || 131 || 332 || 97 || 28 || 0.9 || 0.5 || 11.8 || 7.7 || 19.5 || 5.7 || 1.6|- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2019| style="text-align:center" | | 27 || 16 || 17 || 13 || 213 || 113 || 326 || 116 || 29 || 1.1 || 0.8 || 13.3 || 7.1 || 20.4 || 7.3 || 1.8|- style="background:#eaeaea;"! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2020| style="text-align:center" | | 27 || 13 || 6 || 5 || 144 || 78 || 222 || 53 || 13 || 0.5 || 0.2 || 11.1 || 6.0 || 17.1 || 4.1 || 1.0|- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2021| style="text-align:center" | | 27 || 16 || 17 || 13 || 213 || 113 || 326 || 116 || 29 || 1.1 || 0.8 || 13.3 || 7.1 || 20.4 || 7.3 || 1.8|- style="background:#eaeaea;"! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2022| style="text-align:center" | | – || 0 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || –|- class="sortbottom"! colspan=3| Career! 164! 203! 129! 1901! 1070! 2971! 1011! 281! 1.2! 0.8! 11.6! 6.5! 18.1! 6.2! 1.7|}