🐇 Charlie Lynch | Rabbitohs Coach #6

Full Name: Charles John Lynch
Born: 1891 at Parramatta (Sydney), NSW
Died: 7/9/1968 at Kogarah (Sydney), NSW [aged 77]
Club Playing Career: South Sydney 1913 and 1917-20 (lower grades); Parramatta 1914 (lower grades); Wests Sydney 1914-15 (lower grades)
Club Coaching Career: South Sydney 1928-34 and 1937-40 (premiers 1928-29 and 1931-32); St. George 1947
Awards and Accolades: Rabbitohs premiership winner (as a Coach) 1928-29 and 1931-32

Lynch was graded by the Rabbitohs in 1913, where he played 12 games in their reserve grade side and one Sports Ground Cup game. The following season he moved to Parramatta (junior club who were affiliated with Western Suburbs in those days), playing in nine games for their third grade side, and later that year he was promoted to Wests’ Reserve Grade side for one game. His older brother Jim Lynch also played for Parramatta in 1914 and Wests in 1915 (third grade only). The following season Parramatta did not have a team in any of the three grades, so he continued playing with Wests, where he played in their second and third grade sides. He came back to Souths in 1917, spending another four seasons there playing lower grades. He represented the Combined Second Grade side in 1918 when they played Newcastle at the Sydney Cricket Ground and won 24-10.

His greatest contribution to Souths may not have been as a player but his best was yet to come, with firstly as a first grade coach and later as one of the Rabbitohs greatest administrators. He coached Souths’ first grade side in 1928-34 and 1937-40, winning four premierships in 1928-29 and 1931-32 and runners-up in 1937, when there were no finals played. His coaching success is attributed to him studying the methods of the famous Arthur Hennessy, with his no-kicking policy, and Lynch was also identified with using Souths’ five-man forward pack with great success. In 1947, he coached St George for only that season, starting in round six when he took over from Arthur Justice.

Lynch became Vice-President of the Rabbitohs in 1920-28 and 1940, and in 1929 he became President, which lasted until 1939. He was also the Federal President of the Leather Trades Union and their NSW Secretary. He was inducted as a Life Member of the Rabbitohs at the 60th Annual General Meeting held at the South Sydney Leagues Club in Redfern on 12 December 1967. He died in 1958 at the Calvary Hospital, Kogarah, at the age of 77.