Lynch camp regrets messy Suns split in AFL

Lynch is poised to join Richmond as a restricted free agent, but the key forward will not confirm he has chosen the Tigers until after the grand final.

Collingwood and Hawthorn were also chasing Lynch and Magpies coach Nathan Buckley helped bring matters to a head in July when he said he had spoken to him.

At the time Lynch was recovering from season-ending knee surgery and the Suns were pressing him for a decision on his future.

Days later, Lynch was stripped of the co-captaincy when he returned to the Gold Coast from his post-surgery recovery in Victoria and confirmed to the club that he wanted to leave.

"I can understand there were frustrations around Buckley coming out and saying that," Lynch said.

But Lynch added he had no problems with a tense Suns leadership group meeting where his decision was discussed.

"If you all want to be nice, it's not going to be a good leadership group,' he said.

"There was a good discussion."

Connors said Lynch had been a "sitting duck" while recovering from the operation at the family home in Blairgowrie, near Melbourne.

"All of us, in hindsight, could have done a couple of things better but he didn't meet with a club while he was playing," he said.

Lynch only played 10 games this season and had the operation after round 14.

He expects to be ready for round one next year.

Lynch also said he would have stayed at the Suns if they had more success.

"I have full confident in Gold Coast, they're going to become a good club," he said.

"If we were playing finals, I would never leave Gold Coast."

Australian Associated Press