Richmond star Tom Lynch sent directly to AFL Tribunal after strike on Jordon Butts
Richmond forward Tom Lynch is facing a lengthy suspension after being referred directly to the AFL Tribunal for his strike on Adelaide's Jordon Butts.
Lynch's second-quarter blow to Butts's head was graded as intentional conduct with severe impact and high contact by the AFL's Match Review Officer, Michael Christian.
An early plea is not available to the 32-year-old, who will face the Tribunal on Tuesday night.
Lynch was also handed a pair of fines for two separate incidents that took place in Richmond's 68-point loss to Adelaide at the MCG on Sunday.
He was offered $3,125 for engaging in a melee/wrestle and $1,500 for striking. The fines can be reduced to $1,875 and $1,000, respectively, if Lynch takes an early plea.
Lynch has previously denied suggestions he is overzealous with his on-field aggression, due to only being suspended for a total of two weeks since making his debut in 2011.
That total is now likely to be doubled at the very least.
Despite his lack of previous suspensions, Lynch has toed the line on numerous occasions throughout his career and is no stranger to a Tribunal hearing.
Lynch faced the Tribunal earlier this season in a bid to have a one-match suspension overturned for a high hit on Carlton's Tom De Koning, but was unsuccessful.
He was sent directly to the Tribunal in 2023 after a collision with then-Bulldogs defender Alex Keath, an incident that left Keath concussed, but had the rough conduct charge dismissed.
The Tribunal also cleared Lynch of striking Essendon's Michael Hurley during a match in 2020.
Richmond coach Adem Yze revealed Lynch apologised to his teammates after giving away five free kicks in the first half of the loss to the Crows, and Lynch admitted he was frustrated by the amount of contact Adelaide's defenders had gotten away with.
"I was just more frustrated with how he was defending me, I thought," Lynch told Channel 7.
"Clearly it [Butts's actions] was within the rules because there were no free kicks awarded to me and I went outside the rules.
"I've got to be better."
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