Adelaide would like to sincerely thank Tom Lynch for his service with the experienced forward told he will not be offered a contract for next season.

Lynch, 30, addressed his team mates late on Monday afternoon and he will now take time to consider his options going forward.

He will play out the remainder of the season and look to add to his career tally of 162 games and 201 goals.

“Naturally I would have loved to have kept playing but I am rapt to have experienced the journey with the Club and now with this young group, and I look forward to watching their development and their rise back up the ladder,” Lynch said.

“I am also incredibly grateful to my wife Courtney and our three kids and the sacrifices they have made along the way in allowing me to pursue an AFL career.

“I will take some time to consider what comes next but for now I am determined to help the team finish the season as strongly as we can.”

Lynch was initially drafted by St Kilda in the first round of the 2008 national draft and played six games in three seasons with the Saints, before being traded to the Crows.

In 2013, he topped Adelaide’s goal kicking and three years later kicked a career-high 42 goals in a season to earn an All-Australian nomination and top three finish in the Club’s best and fairest.

Crows Senior Coach Matthew Nicks said Lynch, who has been a member of the Club’s senior leadership group for the past five seasons, has been an important part of the forward line for a long period of time.

“Over his career, Tom has been described as ‘The Connector’ and it is a good description of the influence that he has had on and off the field, which has been significant,” Nicks said.

“On field he has been elite with his decision making and ball use. Off field, when it comes to prioritising others, Tom is second to none and as a senior leader he’s helped drive the cultural standards within the playing group.

“Like any professional athlete, he’s had his share of injuries but his resilience and attention to detail with his rehabilitation and overall week-to-week preparation is an example to which all of our emerging players should aspire.”