How bad could things get at the Suns if co-captains Tom Lynch and Steven May leave the club over the next two years?
If the captains are leaving, will the trickle-down affect lead to younger players wanting out of the club as well?
“I don’t want to sound like a defeatist, but it is diabolical,” former Melbourne captain Garry Lyon said on SEN Breakfast.
“They’re going to have to go to the draft, then the best kids go up there, endure this pain for three years, when they’re out of contract, they’re coming back home – it’s a vicious cycle.
“Not only are you looking at potentially both captains leaving, you’re looking at Josh Caddy, you’re looking at Dion Prestia and you’re going, they left, how do you think they’re going?
“I fear for Gold Coast.”
This comes after comments from Suns coach Stuart Dew yesterday, indicating his acceptance that Lynch will be leaving the club at season’s end.
“History suggests that if you don’t know at Round 18, and he’s our captain, it’s not looking great, but that’s the reality of AFL footy,” Dew said yesterday.
Lyon believes those comments from the coach all-but confirm Lynch is gone.
“Your coach wouldn’t even allude to that if he didn’t have a better-than-good idea that the player is gone,” he said.
“You wouldn’t be talking like that if you didn’t really know.”
Then there’s May, who’s contracted until the end of the 2019 season, but left the door ajar in his press conference yesterday.
“I’m still a contracted player for next year and my focus is trying to lead this team,” May said.
“I am out of contract next year so no doubt you guys will be asking the same questions, but at this stage I’m committed to the Suns.”
Host of SEN’s Time On Sam McClure said those comments raised several red flags.
“When the words ‘at this stage’ get mentioned, it’s bad news,” McClure said.
Could the Suns lose both captains?
They’ll likely receive pick three (based on their current draft position) as compensation for Lynch leaving.
POLL | Who will Suns captain Tom Lynch play for in 2019?
— NAB AFL Trade Radio (@traderadio) July 18, 2018
If you think it’ll be another team, let us know!