THE AFL would have no issue in paying Tom Lynch to remain at Gold Coast as an ambassador on top of his salary, providing he extends his contract beyond 2018.
Lynch, 24, enjoyed his first season as co-captain of the Suns this year and is one of the competition’s best young key forwards having kicked 234 goals from his first 121 games.
However, out of contract at the end of next season, speculation has already started that a host of Victorian sides are circling the 199cm Lynch and could prize him from Metricon Stadium.
With the Suns searching for their third permanent coach on the back of Rodney Eade’s sacking and with star veteran Gary Ablett unsettled, the immediate future of the club is uncertain.
However, AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan has suggested Lynch could be paid for an ambassadorial role with Gold Coast should he first be convinced by the Suns to commit his future to the club.
“We would never pay a guy in advance,” McLachlan told Fox Footy’s On The Couch.
“If he re-signed with the Suns and he’s the right guy to be an ambassador on the Gold Coast and Queensland, we’d do that. And he’s the type of guy who would. But we would never do a deal in advance.”
Keeping players in Queensland has long been a problem for both Brisbane and Gold Coast, with star midfielders Jaeger O’Meara and Dion Prestia walking out on the Suns last year.
However, McLachlan said he has no reason to yet be worried about the future of Lynch.
“Are we worried? He’s shown great loyalty and he’s a great player,” McLachlan said.
“If (Suns CEO) Mark Evans makes the right decisions and gets that footy department right, I’ve got no worries because there’s great talent there and he’ll see a future.”