What got lost in all the controversy surrounding the score review following Richmond star key forward Tom Lynch’s set-shot for goal during the frenetic final stages of last Thursday night’s elimination final against Brisbane at the Gabba, was just how well he performed in the match, and how good a season he had.
If you don’t include the overturned goal, he finished with an equal game-high three goals, a game-high nine marks, including a game-high contested marks and game-high five marks inside 50.
Those three goals took his overall tally for the season to 63, which is the equal most throughout his time with the Tigers and second to the 66 he scored in 2016, when he was playing for the Gold Coast Suns.
What was even more meritorious about that final figure of 63 goals this season is the fact he achieved it in 19 games, or 18 games and a few minutes to be exact, because he was subbed out of the Round 17 clash with the Suns at Metricon Stadium early in the opening quarter.
Lynch’s goal average in season 2022 of 3.3 is the best of his 12-year AFL career.
When he booted 63 goals for Richmond in his 2019 debut season at the Club, he did it in 25 games.
Jack Riewoldt and Matthew Richardson are the only Tigers with a better goal average in a season (having kicked 50 goals or more) this century.
Riewoldt kicked 78 goals from 22 games in 2010 – an average of 3.5 per game.
Richardson had an average of 3.6 goals per game in 2004, with 65 goals from 18 games.
Across the competition this season, Lynch is ranked No. 1 for goals per game, No. 2 for total goals (one behind Carlton’s Coleman Medal winner Charlie Curnow), No. 1 for contested marks and No. 2 for marks inside 50 per game.
