GOLD Coast is set to make its intentions boldly clear to star forward Tom Lynch, with the Suns reportedly prepared to offer a mammoth seven-year deal on Lance Franklin-like dollars to keep him up north.

It comes as Lynch’s former captain and superstar teammate Gary Ablett says he hopes the star forward opts to stay with the Suns for next year and beyond.

Lynch, uncontracted beyond 2018, looms as the hottest free agency target in the AFL at season’s end, with big Victorian clubs such as Collingwood, Hawthorn and Richmond all likely to offer significant deals in an attempt to entice the key goalkicker home to his native state of Victoria. Magpies football manager Geoff Walsh last week hinted his club “would love” a player like Lynch.

But with only a handful of middle-tier players out of contract at season’s end — much-improved on-baller Aaron Hall is arguably the biggest name of that group — Gold Coast is well placed financially to make a big play for Lynch, who has developed into one of the game’s best forwards at the age of just 25.

Round 18

While it’s understood no official offer has been made yet, the Suns are reportedly prepared to offer Lynch a contract as big as $1.5 million per year over seven seasons — a contract that would trump Franklin’s previously-unprecedented nine-year deal.

Reporter Jon Ralph, who broke the Lynch development for the Herald Sun, told Fox Sports News the Suns were “already all-in” for Tom Lynch but that they would have to offer him a contract with a long tenure to keep him

“That’s like what it’s going to take (to keep Lynch), whether he goes or stays,” Ralph told AFL Tonight.

LIVE stream the 2018 JLT Community Series on FOX SPORTS. Get your free 2-week trial & start watching in minutes. SIGN UP NOW >

Tom Lynch is out of contract at season’s end. Picture: Alix Sweeney Source: News Corp Australia

“It took Richmond a year to realise that they needed to offer (Dustin Martin) seven years, instead of four or five years at $800,000. But it’s hard to see how Tom Lynch isn’t footy’s second $10 million man.”

“That could be seven years at $1.3 million to $1.5 million — and then the AFL puts in over the top with an ambassadorship.”

Ablett, who left Gold Coast to return to the Cats late last year, told The Ageit was “hard to say” Lynch would stay with the Suns.

But Ablett added that Lynch’s decision could be heavily influenced by the Suns’ on-field results this year.

“You would hope (Lynch stays). But again, it comes back to when you’re winning football games it makes things a lot easier around a football club because I think when you’re not winning games you start to question the way you’re going about things,” Ablett told The Age.

“And it’s not that you’re necessarily going about things the wrong way, it just might mean that you need to make a few small changes here and there.

“So you know, I think it’s important, I feel when I left that (the Suns) were heading in the right direction. They had a lot of great people around the football club. There was a lot of hard work invested by a lot of people and I’m really hoping they can win some footy games this year and play some fine footy, it’d be really great to see.”

While the Suns are likely make an early offer to Lynch, it’s more likely that he’ll make a call later in the year, perhaps as late as Round 23.

New Suns coach Stuart Dew recently told Fox Footy that the club was “comfortable” with the contract situation and that Lynch remained “heavily invested” in the Suns.

“He’s going to make that call at the end of the year, or at some stage. But he’s invested, no question,” Dew told Fox Footy.

“Throughout trade week, training, every day you can see he’s invested. Body language, you can’t hide, when you see the players everyday you can’t hide whether you’re

invested or not.

“What I am clear on, he’s invested in the Gold Coast Suns this year.”

With Metricon Stadium out of action due to the Commonwealth Games, the Suns have a horror start to their 2018 campaign, travelling to Perth (twice), Ballarat and China across the first 10 rounds.

“If he stays, I think he’s football’s most loyal man since maybe Chris Grant,” Ralph said.

If you are overseas, you can stream the JLT Community Series LIVE and on demand with Watch AFL. SIGN UP NOW >