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Adelaide stalwart Tom Lynch will make his AFL comeback this weekend but is no certainty to be offered a fresh contract by the Crows.
Adelaide veteran Tom Lynch isn't guaranteed a fresh contract offer as he prepares to make his AFL return from a lengthy injury absence.
Lynch will play his first AFL game since round six on Sunday when the Crows host West Coast at Adelaide Oval.
But Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks says there's no surety that Lynch, who turns 31 in September, will be offered a contract to extend his career next season.
"There's no guarantee for him," Nicks told reporters on Friday.
"And we have been reasonably open and honest with him about that.
"If he plays good football over the next six weeks ... if (a new contract) is the best thing for our footy club going forward and Tom Lynch is part of that, we find a way to get it done."
Nicks said any new offer to the 158-gamer depended on "many factors".
"It's not purely about Tom Lynch and his football ability," he said.
"It's also about our list and our development and our growth, what is going to be best for our group, how many guys are we looking to pick up in the draft this year, what selections we will have.
"We don't know a lot of that until well and truly after the season finishes."
Lynch's AFL return comes as Adelaide's 2017 club champion Matt Crouch makes his playing comeback this weekend.
Crouch featured in Adelaide's pre-season games but hasn't played since after undergoing groin surgery.
The midfielder, who like Lynch falls off-contract at season's end, will return on limited game-time in state league ranks.
"I know you're going to see a pretty eager individual out there on the weekend, if his training on Thursday is anything to go by," Nicks said of Crouch.
"He's red-hot. He's ready to play some footy.
"And similar to Tommy Lynch but a slightly different scenario, we just want to see Matty play some footy and show us that he can get back to the level that he was playing at before he went out through injury.
"He's gone through quite a challenging time but we're confident he will do that."
