STUART Dew says Gold Coast still has "options" with Tom Lynch and has kept the door open to matching any rival club's offer on the restricted free agent.

Lynch's future has been a hot topic all season and turned into a circus in recent weeks while the power forward recovers in Melbourne following knee surgery.

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley confirmed last week he had met with Lynch, and then on Monday Magpies list manager Ned Guy was filmed leaving the family home of the Gold Coast co-captain.

"It's not all on Tom's terms," Dew said on Tuesday.

MAGPIES SWOOP Collingwood steps up Lynch pursuit

"We've been in constant dialogue with Tom and his manager. When the time is right we'll move forward one way or another.

"There's options we have.

"Is that, he's a restricted free agent, is it matching? Is it he decides to stay? Is it he decides he wants to explore, which we know he's doing.

"That time will come, but right now his next appointment is with a surgeon to get cleared to come back and we'll confront that then."

Gold Coast has the right to match a rival offer, in which case Lynch would either have to remain with the Suns, hope that he is traded or go back into the draft.

"When you're a footy club there's lot of opinions," Dew said.

"When the time's right we'll have that meeting and get to that position.

"With Tom in Melbourne, we've tried to focus on getting wins."

It was another day on which Dew was forced to chat about Lynch and his fellow co-captain Steven May rather than on-field action.

May has copped a one-match suspension for a high bump on Carlton's Ed Curnow.

"It's an isolated incident," Dew said.

"We cop the ban. We know, and players know, if they choose to bump they put themselves at risk.

"He's disappointed he won't be playing this week, but we know these things can happen.

"We ask players to play close to the line and he stepped over this week and cops his whack."