GOLD Coast superstar Tom Lynch is yet to meet with any prospective clubs, but that hasn’t stopped Hawthorn and Richmond pursuing him aggressively.

Foxfooty.com.au understands the Hawks and Tigers see themselves as favourites to lure the restricted free agent from the Suns, but the Hawks have the edge from Lynch’s end — if he decides to leave.

The Lynch camp still believes Gold Coast deserves every chance possible to hold on to its star forward, who has booted 248 goals in 127 games.

But Hawthorn is circling aggressively and that won’t dissipate until Lynch signs on the dotted line there or elsewhere.

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Hawthorn, acutely aware 31-year-old Jarryd Roughead’s storied career will come to an end sooner rather than later, is committed to finding a replacement in the front half for the four-time premiership player.

The Hawks have salary cap space, a successful culture and the lure of a state of the art facility in Dingley as bargaining chips they could throw at Lynch.

Although the club has adhered to a disciplined salary cap structure in recent years, it’s understood Lynch’s potential to earn as much as $1.3 million per season over five or more years would not break the strict model Graham Wright and Alastair Clarkson have nurtured.

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Jarryd Roughead is getting closer to the end of his career. Photo: Michael Klein Source: News Corp Australia

Seven-figure sums in the AFL are becoming more common by the year and will continue to do so as long as broadcast rights escalate, meaning a million dollar-plus offer for Lynch is more realistic for Hawthorn now than it was even 18 months ago when it landed Jaeger O’Meara.

Lynch played his junior football in Sorrento and grew up in the small town of Blairgowrie before he was summoned to Gold Coast with Pick 11 in the 2010 National Draft.

Dingley is no more than an hour away from Blairgowrie, which could also tempt to Lynch given the 25 year-old’s family connections in Victoria.

Jaeger O’Meara and Lynch, although not best friends, were nevertheless close while at the Suns. Lynch is also very close to St Kilda ruckman Tom Hickey, although the Saints are no longer in the running for the Suns big man.

Richmond is well known to be heavily into Gold Coast’s co-captain too, while Collingwood is believed be interested but not to the same level as the Hawks and Tigers.

The Suns have ample space to secure Lynch financially, with reports surfacing in early March that the club will be able to offer him as much as $1.5 million a season over seven years, making him footy’s second $10 million man after Lance Franklin.

Tom Lynch. (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Media/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

Any potential ambassadorship money will not make or break Lynch, with the AFL unlikely to offer him any more than $50,000 per season.

Either way, that money would only become available when and if he signs with Gold Coast.

Fellow leader Steven May — who himself is out of contract at the end of 2019 — said he had no idea what Lynch would do beyond 2018.

“We say ‘what is going on’ because we read the media and see all the big contract offers he’s been getting,” May said on Channel 7’s Game Day on the weekend.

“We ask him to buy lunch and things and he does go into his shell a bit, which is fair enough. He’s in an awkward position because he’s captain and in the first year of his free agency which is still relatively new.”

Those inside Gold Coast still speak of Lynch’s professionalism and buy-in this year, despite the trade chat that surrounds him. There is no sign he has lost his passion for the Suns, or that he will leave the club.

The earliest Lynch will return from his knee injury is Round 11 against Geelong at Metricon Stadium. He could have pushed himself through on the weekend, but Gold Coast elected to take a cautious approach in order for him to be fit for the back half of the season.

The Suns remain confident they can sign him up, but Richmond has been circling for some time and now Hawthorn has its nose deep in the trough and is the new favourite.