Former Gold Coast coach Rodney Eade believes Tom Lynch will almost certainly leave the struggling club at the end of the AFL season.
The in-demand tall forward will become a restricted free agent and is being heavily courted by clubs in his home state of Victoria.
Eade, who coached Lynch from 2015 until late last season, was asked to rate the likelihood of him leaving on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being a definite departure.
"I think it's at least a nine, maybe heading towards 10," Eade replied on Channel Seven's Game Day.
"But he is (still invested in the Suns) ... he's got great character, he's a fantastic individual, and he'll be trying his heart out."
Lynch kicked a bag of eight goals against Carlton in round two, but has managed 18 majors in total from his nine games this season as he struggles with an ongoing knee injury.
The 25-year-old star remains guarded about his plans past this season, but Collingwood and Richmond are believed to be leading the race for his services.
Lynch's departure would be a hammer blow for the Suns who, along with fellow expansion club GWS, have struggled to retain players.
Eade isn't a fan of priority picks being used to aid the AFL's new boys, but he agrees they do need help.
"I think both teams pay their players above the odds to keep them," he said.
"So whether it's salary cap relief in some form to (help) them be able to keep players.
"Also players who get drafted I think (should) sign for three years rather than two years so they can keep them for a bit longer.
"I think that's an issue even a bit for Adelaide and certainly Brisbane."
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