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West Coast Eagles 2006 premiership player Quinten Lynch expects his former club to bounce back strongly from their poor performance against Gold Coast on Saturday.
Lynch, who played 209 games for the club from 2002 to 2012 anticipated a strong response from Adam Simpson’s team in round three.
“There laden with talent and experience. They would have really taken that loss on Saturday hard,” Lynch said on Sports Drive on Monday.
“I’ve got no doubt they will regather their thoughts and reset their where they are heading. No doubt they can turn it around.
“There a quality side with a quality list and good coaching above that. I’d look for a big response this weekend.”
The Eagles were humiliated by a young Suns outfit on Saturday night at Metricon Stadium, beaten by 44 points by last season’s wooden spooners as they managed only one goal after half time.
Questions have been raised about their preparation for the fixture, having been outworked by a hungrier Suns side.
When asked how he would have coped in the same circumstances presented to the current playing group, Lynch had a simple view.
“I’m from the country so I lived in a boarding house for five years, so it would have been like going back to boarding school for me,” he said.
“The tough part about it is if you have kids. I had kids for a fair chunk of my career, so not been able to have your kids over there would be the hardest part of it.
“But the actual idea of living with the boys for a month I think I could survive. Obviously there wasn’t much of an alternative either. As your job, you just want to get out there and perform and play footy.
“If that’s the way it has to be done for you to do your job, you’d just suck it up I’d say.
“I’d dare say they’d have a bit of fun, but hopefully they stop having as much fun as they were I think and get a win on the board this weekend coming.”
AFL restrictions were eased on Monday, with players now allowed to engage in leisure activities such as surfing, golf, tennis and fishing.
Lynch welcomed the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, but suggested some of his old team mates might be kept away from the golf course this week.
“That’s if Simmo lets them. They might have been able to do all of those if they won on Saturday,” the 37 year old said.
“They have go to try and make it as comfortable as possible for them, and make it feel as much like home as they can. A lot of those blokes would play golf and have a surf every now and then in their wind down time.
"If they are able to do that now that’s a good thing and stimulates them to feel a little bit more comfortable in their surroundings and means they can play their best footy.”
Lynch reflected on his AFL career, which began with a one-point win over Carlton at Princes Park in June 2002 and a goal with his first kick in AFL football.
“It was pretty exciting it’s every kid’s dream to play in the AFL. To be able to debut over there in Melbourne was something I will never forget. To kick a goal with my first kick was pretty cool. " he said.
Lynch was initially selected to represent WA in the 2002 state game against Queensland, before getting a call up mid-week to play his first AFL game.
“I went to the jumper presentation for the state side, then about Wednesday of that week Woosha (John Worsfold) pulled me in and said I was a chance of playing,” he said.
“I found out Thursday I was in. I had to hand my state jumper back, instead of playing centre half back for WA and instead played full forward for the Eagles.”
Lynch became a cult figure in his team with the club, playing a key role in the 2006 premiership side as the team’s spearhead, kicking 65 goals including three majors in the Grand Final triumph over Sydney.
He explained his infamous goalkicking routine, which involved throwing away his glove before taking a set shot.
“I wore gloves before I came in to the AFL, I liked having the glove on and it gave me a bit of help with my marking,” Lynch said.
“Later in my career it actually became a necessity, I had a pretty bad finger on one of my hands, and I couldn’t tape it very well. It was so I could keep my fingers in position really.”
Lynch finished his career with two seasons at Collingwood, retiring at the end of 2014. After three seasons as a playing coach at amateur club Trinity Aquinas, he now holds the role as coach of PSA club Aquinas College, the school he attended in his youth.
IMAGE: Yahoo Sport.