Coffee, Conversations and Crossroads: Lynch and Rockliff Reflect

Coffee, Conversations and Crossroads: Lynch and Rockliff Reflect

Dylan Leach

The AFL world was briefly set alight by what some dubbed “Coffeegate”—a seemingly innocuous meeting between West Coast captain Oscar Allen and Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell at a Perth café.

However, for former players Alastair Lynch and Tom Rockliff, this kind of behind-the-scenes interaction isn’t just commonplace—it’s part of the game’s evolving reality.

Speaking on the Neds AFL Unpopular Opinions podcast, Lynch and Rockliff—two players who navigated their own high-profile club changes during their careers—offered perspective, a few laughs, and some behind-the-curtain insights into how player movement really works.

“There’s nothing new about it,” Lynch said.

“But Oscar’s rookie error was having the meeting at the front table of the café. That’s where the blow-up came from. The optics—not the act.”

Rockliff echoed that sentiment, pointing listeners to Chris Scott’s pointed post-match press conference, which highlighted the duality of the situation: clubs want full freedom to speak with rival players, but balk at losing their own.

“Chris Scott said it best—everyone’s doing it, they’re just being more discreet,” Rockliff said. “If you’re out of contract or even a year out from free agency, these conversations happen. It’s naïve to think otherwise.”

Both Lynch and Rockliff know what it’s like to be on the radar of rival clubs.

For Lynch, the early ‘90s were filled with intrigue as the Fitzroy champion—fresh off an All-Australian year—was being heavily courted.

“I met with (then Saints coach) Ken Sheldon and Peter Hudson from St Kilda at Ken’s house down by the bay,” Lynch recalled.

1993 Select Base Card (119) Alistair LYNCH Fitzroy - Picture 1 of 1

“Then there was a meeting at the Southern Cross Hotel with Ron Barassi and Ron Joseph from Sydney. Fitzroy were battling, so it was natural to explore.”

But unlike today’s 24-hour news cycle and social media-driven speculation, Lynch’s era was all about discretion.

“There were no brown paper bags,” he laughed. “But there was a round of golf at Victoria Golf Club with Brisbane’s Scott Clayton—and Roosy (Paul Roos) came too. It wasn’t covert, it was part of the dance.”

Eventually, Lynch was lured north by a contract that became the stuff of AFL folklore—a ten-year deal with the Brisbane Bears at the end of 1993.

“It was the kind of offer you just couldn’t ignore,” Lynch said.

Fitzroy Lions, Brisbane Bears, Brisbane Lions, Alastair Lynch 10 year contract, three premierships | The Australian

Alastair Lynch from a Royboy to a Bear and back to a Lion. 

“They flew me up to have a look around, and I remember looking at the weather, the facilities, and just the fresh start it offered. Fitzroy had made it clear they weren’t trading me anywhere else—and Brisbane could sign me outside the draft. Once the Bears tabled the offer, I took it to my manager and said, ‘Well, I guess I’m moving to Queensland.’”

Lynch would go on to play a key role in the Brisbane-Fitzroy merger three years later and become a triple premiership player with the Lions.

Meanwhile, Rockliff’s journey—steeped in the more media-saturated and player agency-driven landscape of the 2010s—brought different pressures.

The former Brisbane Lions captain was no stranger to speculation. His meetings with Melbourne, Hawthorn, Geelong, Carlton and eventually Port Adelaide reflected both club change and personal performance peaks.

“In 2013, Melbourne rolled out the tour—Paul Roos sold the vision, showed me around the MCG setup,” Rockliff said. “They offered leadership, not captaincy, but a role to help build something.”

By 2017, the signs were hard to ignore. Despite All-Australian honours, multiple club best and fairests and a captaincy stint, Rockliff was asked to take a significant pay cut.

“They were moving on, and that’s fine—but I had to explore,” he said. “Port were impressive. I flew under the radar into (Port GM of Football) Chris Davies’ house, met Ken (Hinkley) for an hour. The next day, I was back at training like nothing happened.”

But the most cinematic moment? Carlton’s full-court press.

“At the end of 2017, they flew me down and we had dinner at the top of a restaurant on Lygon Street,” Rockliff said.
“Sticks Kernahan was there, the whole Carlton brain trust. It felt like a scene out of The Godfather. Full medicals, full pitch. It was serious.”

Rockliff ended up signing with Port Adelaide, but through it all, he says honesty was the key.

“I just said to Fages (Chris Fagan), ‘I want to stay, but I’ve got to explore.’ And he got it,” he said. “There was mutual respect. I think as long as you’re open and still performing, it’s part of the business.”

For Lynch, today’s outrage over players talking to other clubs mid-season is simply a case of selective memory.

“We’ve just cancelled all our café meetings,” he joked, referencing his new role with the upcoming Tasmania Devils side.

“But honestly, these things have happened for decades. The only difference is now, someone takes a photo, and it’s a scandal.”

The AFL may never adopt the rugby league model—where players announce new clubs while still under contract, like what has recently transpired with Daly Cherry-Evans and Manly – but it’s clear the game’s inner workings are no longer confined to boardrooms or backyards.

Just maybe, next time, they’ll skip meeting in the outdoor dining area of a café where everyone can see them.

 

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