Paul Lynch says the chance to coach the GDFNL’s best young talent was an opportunity too good to pass up.
The Thomson premiership mentor will take charge of the Raiders’ first interleague campaign since 2019 in an under-25 match-up with the Colac and District League at Winchelsea’s Eastern Reserve on King’s Birthday.
“I’ve always been a big advocate for interleague,” Lynch said.
“It gives an opportunity for people to play high-level footy and test themselves against other leagues.
“The under-25 program, I don’t mind that. I like working with kids, and I think we’ve got a lot of good kids in the Geelong and District.”
A 40-man squad is expected to be announced early next week, ahead of a four-week lead-up to the June 9 clash.
“We’ve put out the feelers now for the clubs to nominate who they think are the ones that they think are good enough to play interleague,” Lynch, who will have Bannockburn coach Ron Pilgrim as an assistant, said.
“We’ll wait for their list to come back, and then Ronnie and I will sit down and cut that list down to maybe 40 or so, and then go from there.
“We’re just waiting for the clubs to get back to us at this stage.”
Lynch says there are several players outside of Thomson he has connections that he’s looking forward to coaching.
“I’ve got a bit of a relationship with Brock Mahoney and Ben Crombie and these types of guys,” he said.
“So I’m looking forward to working with those sorts of players.
“I think Ben’s an outstanding player and can definitely play a lot better footy than he is at the moment.
“There are a lot of good ones, like the Mulvahils; Toby Bennett’s under 25, which I didn’t realise.
“There are a lot of good kids around that are still under the age of 25 that I think could play high-level footy, so it’d be good to work with them.”.
Lynch is also looking forward to coaching against former Colac star Kane Leersen.
Leersen played with Lynch at the Tigers and was a key player when Lynch guided Colac to its maiden GFNL premiership in 2014.
“It makes it all the more enticing to coach against Kane,” he said.
“We’ve got a big relationship; I played with him, coached with him, and all that sort of stuff, so that’d be good.”
X: @krockfootball
