Overview

• The AFL Tribunal upheld the Match Review Officer’s grading of Lynch’s off-ball strike as intentional conduct with severe impact and high contact, resulting in a five-match ban.
• Lynch accepted fines totaling $4,625 for two earlier first-half incidents, including a prior strike on Butts and involvement in a melee.
• His suspension is the season’s longest to date and reflects the league’s revised guidelines targeting deliberate high-impact offences.
• Ongoing talks over a one-year extension for 2026 remain unresolved as questions intensify around Lynch’s performance after conceding multiple free kicks and recording minimal disposals.
• Prominent AFL voices have criticised Lynch’s leadership and suggested he may need to reconsider his career if he cannot manage on-field frustration.