Dusty’s ‘big decision’; Lynch no certainty to be fit for round one; Shiel’s multiple surgeries

Save articles for later

Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.

In today’s AFL briefing, your daily wrap of footy news:

• Tom Lynch has plenty of work to do to be fit for the season opener, while Dustin Martin faces a major decision on his future.
• Essendon midfielder Dylan Shiel has had multiple surgery and faces a race against time to be fit for round one, while Jake Stringer is still building his fitness base.

Tigers admit Lynch may not be fit for round one; Dusty’s decision looming

Jon Pierik

Richmond coach Adem Yze has revealed Tom Lynch is no certainty to be fit for round one, while superstar Tiger Dustin Martin faces a “big decision” on his future.

Lynch missed most of the 2023 season after breaking his right foot in round four. While the star forward said last month he expected to be fully fit for the 2024 season opener against Gold Coast on March 9, Yze said on Wednesday there was no guarantee that would be the case.

Yze said the Tigers needed to be cautious with Lynch, as they were with young defender Josh Gibcus, who recently spent time at an internationally renowned sports medicine clinic in Qatar in a bid to deal with a major hamstring tendon injury which required surgery last January. Complications, including wound infections and nerve issues, meant he did not play a game last season.

“He [Lynch] had a really tough run last year. Right now, he is ticking all the boxes and, really similar to Josh, we just have to temper how quickly we get him out there,” Yze said.

Work to do: Tom Lynch is “ticking the boxes”, but will need to show considerable progress after Christmas in order to be fit for round one.Credit: Getty Images

“If it means he is not available at the start of the year, I have got to be really patient about that. We are hoping he will be. He is just getting through a progression. He’ll start to up the ante after Christmas, and then we’ll just play it by ear. Touch wood, the scans and everything he has been through, has been a positive so far.”

Lynch, having spent considerable time in a moon boot, has been frustrated by the sluggish recovery time.

Yze said the Tigers would turn to former Hawk forward Jacob Koschitzke and youngster Samson Ryan should Lynch have a delayed start to the season, while he also flagged positional changes for the club’s established talent.

As the Tigers took to the training track, Yze said Gibcus was close to resuming full training, but the club needed to hold him back before Christmas.

“He is tracking really nicely. We hope that he progresses really strongly and, up until Christmas, we have to be really careful. He has had a tough time of it, it would have been a frustrating year for him last year, so we have got to be mindful that we can’t rush this,” Yze said.

“He wants to get involved in everything, and he probably can, we are just going to temper that and get him to Christmas and really set a nice base for him. So when he comes in, he doesn’t have any setbacks, and he can move forward because he is a terrific talent, and we can’t wait to see him out there.”

Yze said the specialists in Doha had helped Gibcus with] his running technique.

“He has, obviously, had a history with the hamstring, but it was more about the mechanics, the way he runs, the way he picks the ball up. So, [it was] just trying to look at the finer details about how we can get him back into the program, and we are starting to see the benefits of that. So, like I said, he is really close to joining full training,” Yze said.

Richmond superstar Dustin Martin is out of contract at the end of 2024.Credit: Eddie Jim

Martin’s seven-year, $9 million deal inked in 2017, when North Melbourne offered him a $10 million deal over the same duration, is due to expire at the end of next season, when he can become an unrestricted free agent.

He had a robust 2023 campaign, averaging 23.6 disposals and 1.1 goals from 20 games, finishing runner-up in the Tigers’ best and fairest. While now Suns coach Damien Hardwick has, for now, ruled out a reunion on the Gold Coast, that speculation will continue until Martin makes a call.

Yze said his job was to ensure the three-time Norm Smith medallist, 32, enjoyed his football, and could still improve.

“We want Dusty to be happy, we want him to enjoy his footy. We want him to train well and play well,” Yze said.

Adem Yze addresses his players at Richmond training.Credit: AFL Photos

“In the end, as a coach, I am not going to put pressure on a timeline for him making that decision. It’s a big decision for him. I just hope he gets the right feeling about not only myself but our coaching staff. He is, obviously, an amazing Richmond person, and we … hope he is a Richmond man forever. But that’s going to be his decision. My job is to give him the environment that he enjoys and knows that he can keep improving. Who knows?”

Yze, in his rookie season as a senior coach, wants his team to play with “dare and risk”, pointing out “the best teams play with a lot of speed and a lot of risk”.

“But on the slip side, you have, obviously, got to be strong in the contest, and defensively stable,” he said.

Yze said the Tigers would turn their attention towards leadership group appointments next week. Dylan Grimes and Toby Nankervis have been co-captains for the past two seasons.

Shiel in race to be fit for season opener

Jon Pierik

Essendon midfielder Dylan Shiel is in a race to be fit for round one, while Jake Stringer has yet to rejoin full training, as the Bombers plot a return to the finals next season.

Shiel has undergone knee and foot surgery, with the Bombers revealing in their injury report that the hard-running onballer “is tracking towards a return to full training in late February”.

The Bombers open their home-and-away campaign against Hawthorn on March 16, meaning Shiel may not have completed the required running loads by that point to warrant selection.

Delayed start: Essendon midfielder Dylan Shiel has had foot and knee surgery.Credit: AFL Photos

Stringer (foot), who managed 17 matches last season but remains a key cog when fit, is expected to rejoin main training before Christmas. The robust forward and part-time midfielder, who turns 30 in April, is off contract next season, and typically has a strong campaign in seasons when he is hunting a new deal.

Ruckman Sam Draper is on the mend from off-season groin surgery, and hopes to return to full training in January. Fellow ruckman Nick Bryan also remains on a modified program, while he manages a thumb issue.

Forward Peter Wright (foot), the 2022 best and fairest, and recruits Ben McKay (knee) and Xavier Duursma (hip) are also on modified running programs.

Defenders Jayden Laverde (thumb) and Jordan Ridley (quad) have rejoined full training.

Young defender Zach Reid, having battled back and hamstring issues last season, is training well. Forward Harrison Jones, recovering from an ankle reconstruction and a back stress fracture, is expected to rejoin full training next week, the Bombers said.

Utility Nik Cox, having dealt with an ankle joint issue last season, is completing a strong running block, and is expected to resume full training soon.

Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.

Most Viewed in Sport

From our partners

Source: Read Full Article