Richmond star key forward Tom Lynch is tracking towards a couple of key goalkicking milestones in his debut season at Tigerland.
Lynch, who has kicked 45 goals so far this year, almost certainly will become the first Tiger player, other than Jack Riewoldt, to win the Michael Roach Medal (as the Club’s leading goalkicker) since 2009.
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Former West Coast forward Mitch Morton was the Michael Roach Medallist in ’09 (his second season at the Club) with 41 goals.
Riewoldt has been Richmond’s leading goalkicker in every season from then on, but his lengthy stint on the sidelines this year with a knee injury will prevent him claiming a 10th consecutive Michael Roach Medal.
Lynch also appears likely to become the highest goalscorer from a rival club in his first season with the Tigers.
Ricky McLean currently holds that goalkicking record at Richmond, with the 55 goals he booted as the team’s full-forward in 1972 after transferring from Carlton.
Ex-North Melbourne spearhead Sel Murray scored 49 goals for the Tigers in his 1945 debut season at Punt Road.
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The most goals by any Richmond player in their first season of league football is Doug Strang’s 68 in 1931.
Lynch’s best goal return in a season is 66, which he kicked in 2016 with Gold Coast. The second most goals he’s scored in a season is 46 in 2014.
He now has an overall total of 299 goals in his 149-game AFL career.
To further highlight the impact Lynch has had in his inaugural season at Tigerland, he is ranked first competition-wide for contested marks, second for marks inside 50 and fourth for total goals.
