Three major Victorian clubs are the early front-runners to sign Gold Coast star Tom Lynch should he leave the Suns via free agency, according to a report by Chanel 7.
Lynch is the most valuable commodity in football given there is a lack of star full-forwards in the competition. His ability to kick a bag of goals every week will be highly sought after by every club.
Lynch is out of contract at the end of the season, and Chanel 7 reports that three of Melbourneโs biggest clubs are already circling the 25-year old.
โWhile Lynch could stay at the Suns, trade sources insist Richmond, Hawthorn and Collingwood are the early front-runners if he leaves โ the Tigers in particular,โ Channel 7 reporter Tom Browne said on Tuesday night.
All three clubs have publicly flagged interest in Lynch when quizzed about his availability, but it is unknown if or how they could accommodate for his hefty pay day.
The reported price tag attached to signing Lynch is in the $1 million-dollar range, with some experts claiming he could be the first $2 million-dollar man in the AFL.
Speculation will continue to mount so long as Lynch does not sign an extension with the Suns, just like it did on Dusty Martin and the Tigers last year.
The Suns co-captain avoided questions about his long-term commitment to Gold Coast when he appeared on Fox Footyโs AFL360 last year.
Pre-season, Lynch said his focus was on his footy and the season ahead.
โI just have to concentrate on being the best footballer I am โ thatโs all Iโm thinking about,โ he told reporters.
โPre-season, Iโve just put my head down and tried to work hard, implement Stueyโs new strategies and things like that.โ
Lynch is having another impressive season in 2018, booting 12 goals from four games, ranking fifth in the league. His best performance came round two against Carlton, where he bagged a career-high eight goals at Etihad Stadium.
