The Q-Stick heads east in Magpies move

Updated October 02, 2012 17:39:05

Collingwood's forward and ruck stocks have received a boost with the signing of West Coast Eagle free agent Quinten Lynch.

Fresh from re-signing spearhead Travis Cloke on a five-year deal, the Magpies sealed a move for the 29-year-old 2006 premiership forward.

Lynch played 11 seasons for the Eagles and was the club's leading goalkicker on two occasions. He played 209 games in total for West Coast and kicked 281 goals.

His last game for the club came in West Coast's loss to Collingwood in this year's elimination final.

As an unrestricted free agent he was free to choose offers from rival clubs and signed a two-year deal with the Magpies.

"So many things appealed to me about the move," Lynch said in a Collingwood statement.

"It was exciting to think that I could play for the biggest club in the game and challenge myself at the same time to play a flexible role, which is what we have discussed. The idea of playing on the MCG every second week was really attractive, too.

"I'm a life member of West Coast and I'll always think well of the club. So I hope everyone there understands that joining Collingwood was an opportunity I couldn't refuse. The chance to reinvigorate and extend my career in Melbourne, with Collingwood, I had to take."

Collingwood director of football, Geoff Walsh, said securing Lynch meant that coach Nathan Buckley should have more flexibility in the forward line and the ruck.

"We're extremely happy to have Quinten with us," Walsh said.

" Another strong-bodied marking target up forward will really suit the Collingwood game and Quinten can also play in the ruck. And we know very well how valuable a player is who can play those two roles."

The Magpies have struggled in recent times to fill the forward / second ruck role since the retirement of Leigh Brown.

In other trade news, the AFL confirmed it had received free agent paperwork for Port Adelaide's Troy Chaplin, who is a trade target for Richmond.

As Chaplin is a restricted free agent, Port Adelaide has three days to decide whether to match Richmond's offer - if they do, Chaplin would either stay with Port, ask for a trade or enter the AFL draft.

Port Adelaide is already considering whether to match Fremantle's offer for another restricted free agent, Danyle Pearce.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, perth-6000, wa, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted October 02, 2012 17:36:54

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Grundy heads to tribunal, Johnson accepts ban

Updated September 04, 2012 13:57:53

Sydney's Heath Grundy is contesting his one-match ban at the AFL tribunal tonight in the hope of featuring against Adelaide on Saturday, but Geelong has accepted Steve Johnson will not play against Fremantle.

Grundy connected with a swinging elbow on James Podsiadly's chin but the Swans are hoping he will be free for the key game at Football Park.

Grundy has little to lose, as his ban would remain at one game whether he took the early guilty plea or was unsuccessful at the tribunal.

Cats talisman Johnson, who was also in danger of being out for two weeks, has accepted a penalty for rough conduct after clashing with the Swans' Daniel Hannebery

Because of his previous poor disciplinary record, Johnson would have been hit with a two-match suspension had he been unsuccessful in challenging the charge.

Geelong officials gave serious thought to challenging Johnson's level one rough conduct charge in an incident involving Sydney's Dan Hannebery, before deciding it was not worth the risk.

Elsewhere, Gold Coast's Campbell Brown will miss the first six games of next season after accepting a charge of level four bumping or making forceful contact from front-on offence.

St Kilda's Leigh Montagna is appealing his level one rough conduct charge against Carlton's Andrew Walker when he pushed him to the ground at the end of a melee during the MCG clash on Sunday.

He was offered the opportunity to accept a one-week penalty. His case will be heard next week.

The Saints' Stephen Milne and Tom Simpkin and Carlton's Walker all accepted fines of $900 for wrestling, while the Blues' Mitch Robinson accepted a $3,000 fine for the same offence.

All other players have accepted the charges levelled against them.

ABC/AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, sydney-2000, geelong-3220

First posted September 04, 2012 11:52:42

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