It was another week, and another successful Crow return as Tom Lynch made a spectacular comeback in Sunday’s SANFL clash at Prospect.
Following in the footsteps of Brad Crouch (Round Nine) and Ricky Henderson (Round 10), Lynch excelled in his first game since May 3 when the 23-year-old suffered a fractured jaw in Adelaide’s Round Seven clash with Melbourne.
The 2013 Crows leading goalkicker was instrumental in guiding the young SANFL Crows to a remarkable four-point victory over North Adelaide on Sunday afternoon. Lynch collected 31 possessions, eight marks and seven inside 50ms in an impressive performance on return.
“It was just great to be back playing with the boys,” Lynch told afc.com.au after his first match in seven weeks.
“I felt alright, I got a little bit tired late. But for me, it was just about running out the game well and getting some match conditioning in.
“But it also helps when you have a game like that. That certainly helps you get your mind off the sore spots late in the game.”
It was a testing encounter at Prospect Oval, with Adelaide leading the way for much of the contest over the 2013 SANFL Grand Finalists.
The Roosters made their move in the second half, culminating in a thrilling final-quarter struggle. Momentum swung like a pendulum as 12 goals were scored for the quarter and the lead changed hands on four occasions.
Ultimately, a match-winning play from ruckman Angus Graham secured the points for the Crows. The win reversed a 48-point thrashing handed to Adelaide the last time they met the Roosters back in Round One – the side’s worst defeat this year.
“The boys were absolutely fantastic today, especially all the young guys,” Lynch said.
“Guys like James Battersby, Riley Knight, Alex Spina and Rory Atkins really stood up when it mattered.
“In Round One, the boys came here and got smashed. The team hasn’t changed a hell of a lot at all, but it was great for them to come out and show that they are improving.
“It’s great to see it pay off like this. They’re a very hungry group. They’re working extremely hard behind the scenes and today was just a great reward for their hard work.”
Lynch has had his share of bad luck with injury this year. Foot surgery delayed his start to the pre-season, before a dislocated shoulder in Adelaide’s final pre-season practice match in March sidelined him for a month.
After sitting out another seven weeks with his latest setback, Lynch said he was eager to get back to his best in the second half of the season.
“I’ve done a power of work with Duncan Kellaway (Physio & Rehab Coach) and Nick Poulos (Physical Performance Manager) has also got me in pretty good shape,” he said.
“So hopefully I can have a big back half of the year and get back to playing some regular footy with the boys.”
