FORMER Gold Coast co-captain Tom Lynch has officially informed the club he wants to join Richmond and is already dreaming of playing in his first final next year.
Lynch is a restricted free agent, so the Suns can match the Tigers' offer and force a trade if they wish.
Gold Coast acknowledged this possibility in a statement, but it is expected the Suns will let him go and accept a compensation draft pick that is expected to come in at No.3.
The 25-year-old's manager, Robbie D'Orazio, of Connors Sports, is confident that won't happen.
Lynch admitted at a spring racing launch on Tuesday that it was "strange" watching Richmond's finals campaign, knowing he would almost certainly be there in 2019.
"It was a bit strange, because obviously Gold Coast didn't make finals," Lynch told reporters.
"I obviously wasn't with the Tigers then and it's a bit of a strange feeling. You feel a bit in limbo – you're between clubs a bit – so it was just a bit more of a strange feeling, more than anything.
"I didn't want to get too excited until it officially happened, which will hopefully be next week."
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Lynch will form the AFL's newest 'twin towers' forward line at the Tigers, alongside triple Coleman medallist Jack Riewoldt.
They have had limited contact so far, although Riewoldt sent the 2016 All Australian a text post-season and coach Damien Hardwick told him Richmond would suit him.
"It will be nice to get to know (Riewoldt) and the boys further getting back to pre-season," Lynch said.
"He's a three-time Coleman winner, so it'll be pretty exciting to get to play under him and learn a fair bit off him."
Lynch's new destination ultimately came down to the Tigers, Collingwood or Hawthorn after he decided the "time was right" for him to return to Victoria.
"There were a lot of pros for the three of them, so there was no wrong decision, only what was right for me," he said.
"Obviously, (Richmond) won a premiership last year and played off in a prelim (in 2018), so it will be nice to hopefully play finals next year and look forward to that.
"I've never played finals before. (But this was) not just (about) next year; it's for the next whatever years until I finish my career, so it wasn't just a one-year decision."
Lynch also referenced the heated player meeting in early August, when he revealed to his teammates he was leaving after eight seasons on the Gold Coast.
Touk Miller, Brayden Fiorini, Lachie Weller and Jack Bowes were reportedly among the Suns footballers to deliver "strong feedback" to Lynch that day.
"I think it got blown out of (proportion and) made to be bigger than it was," Lynch said.
"It was a good discussion in the leadership group, which as a leadership group you need to have. You need to have strong discussion, otherwise there's no point having them.
"It was obviously a tough day to come in and tell my teammates. I love them and have been through a lot with them. I had some of my best mates in the room that day as well.
"It was obviously pretty emotional for everyone and it was good to actually come in and tell the boys, because I was obviously away for a couple of weeks getting (knee) surgery, then telling them I'm moving on."
Lynch did not play after round 14 because of a knee injury and is visiting his surgeon on Friday, but expects to be fit to play in the JLT Community Series and round one next year.
The free agency period begins on Friday, and Gold Coast will have three days to decide whether it will match the Tigers' offer once the documentation is lodged.
