Monster Tigers offer reveals Lynch set for pay cut

Tom Lynch is so keen for success he will reportedly take a pay cut on his average yearly salary to join Richmond.

The Gold Coast Suns forward is expected to lodge the paperwork today for his move to the Tigers as a restricted free agent.

Fairfax reports the offer Lynch will sign is a seven-year deal worth “an average of close to $900,000” per season.

The 25-year-old is widely believed to have been one of the league’s nine million-dollar-plus players in 2017.

He could still feature in the list at some point in his career, with his contract likely to be front or back-loaded to fit in around incumbent Richmond stars Dustin Martin, Jack Riewoldt, Alex Rance and Trent Cotchin.

While Lynch will earn less per year, the prospect of being locked in perhaps until he retires was still a significant draw.

It had previously been reported that he could earn an average of $1.3m per year if he joined a club with more space in the salary cap.

He was already on a healthy contract at the Suns and was in line for an AFL top-up if he re-signed.

The governing body has been without a paid ‘ambassador’ in Queensland since Gary Ablett left the Suns to rejoin Geelong.

But that carrot will not be available to Lynch at Richmond, where he will earn less than Dustin Martin (a reported $1.2m per year).

Free agency opened on Friday morning, with West Coast duo Andrew Gaff and Scott Lycett among the players set to make their decisions in the coming days.

Gaff appears highly likely to accept a monster offer to join North Melbourne and looks set to be replaced at the Eagles by contracted Geelong midfielder Tim Kelly.

Kelly made his AFL debut this year as a mature-age recruit but has requested a trade to his hometown West Coast.

While Richmond were celebrating Lynch’s decision, Reece Conca moved from the Tigers to Fremantle on a three-year deal.