Then, with five minutes remaining before half-time, the lead growing and Lynch’s impact on the game nonexistent, he began to lash out.
Lynch wrestles with Crows Josh Worrell and Mark Keane.Credit: Getty Images
The first sign that he may be better off cooling his jets on the bench arrived when he threw an open hand at Butts, which hit the stoic defender on his back. Butts went to the ground as Sam Berry remonstrated with Lynch.
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The premiership forward kept arguing with the umpire as the ball drifted into the Crows’ forward line, his complaints beginning to wear thin on umpire Jeff Dalgleish, who told Lynch: “I’m not copping this”.
Richmond coach Adem Yze – who seemed more concerned with the free kicks being given away than the foreboding sense Lynch’s actions might get him in trouble – said after the game that any thoughts of taking the marking forward off were stymied by Mykelti Lefau’s calf injury.
Lefau’s absence robbed the Tigers’ forward line of a marking target and someone strong who could block for Lynch; the inexperienced Jonty Faull was battling hard to find the ball himself.
So Lynch, still on the field, seemed to decide that he wasn’t copping any more treatment, but someone else should. As the ball headed in his direction, Butts was giving him no peace, grabbing him and bumping as Lynch prepared to fly for another mark only to be suddenly surrounded by three Adelaide defenders.
As soon as he lost the contest, he swung a reckless round arm to the back of Butts’ head rather than chase the ball. Lynch brought back the biff.
Lynch was put on report for this hit on Jordon Butts.Credit: Channel Seven
It was no way to handle the situation, although it is an approach Lynch, and many other great forwards, have taken when they decided the treatment they were getting in contests required a response.
Lynch has only missed two matches through suspension in his career (he was suspended for one match in round one this season for bumping Carlton’s Tom De Koning), but he is not a forward to mess with when competing for the ball. By half-time, he had no touches but had conceded five free kicks. Three of those free kicks were given away in the final two minutes of the second quarter.
He has now conceded 19 free kicks this season and received just nine. That’s not dissimilar to Geelong’s Jeremy Cameron (13 frees for, 19 free kicks against) and North Melbourne’s Cam Zurhaar (nine frees for, 18 against) but not as favourable as Carlton’s freewheeling Charlie Curnow (19 frees for, 17 frees against) and the Giants’ Jesse Hogan (12 frees for, eight frees against) this season.
The Richmond coach’s post-match response was to say there was “no excuse” for Lynch’s action. But he then claimed that the way the premiership forward was being umpired contributed to his mood.
Lynch was suspended for this bump against Carlton in round one.Credit: Seven Network
“We’re going to seek clarification on the marking contests … he’s feeling like he’s getting held,” Yze said.
While there was no doubt that was true, the player’s response was way over the top. Crows coach Matthew Nicks said they knew they “were doing something right” when frustrations boiled over for the Tigers’ leader.
The vigilante mentality never prevails, and Lynch is likely to face the tribunal for his action that luckily didn’t cause any serious damage to the unflappable Butts.
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“It was a ruthless performance,” Nicks said as he praised the defender.
Lynch will miss matches. The only question is: how many?
The second question is how the Tigers can help him not give away free kicks when frustration overwhelms him. They will have time to ponder that one.
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