A cult hero with West Coast fans for more than a decade, Quinten Lynch become the first player to join Collingwood as a free agent when he crossed the Nullarbor at the end of the 2012 season.

The strongly built Sandgroper's first season at Collingwood had its ups and downs with niggling injuries eating into the second half of his season, but Pies fans are unlikely to forget his virtuoso performance in the ruck against Carlton in round two any time soon.

At his best, Lynch can break packs, sink goals from outside 50 and clear the path for his smaller teammates.

His work ethic on the training track won the admiration of teammates at both West Coast and Collingwood and acted as the springboard for his 65-goal season in 2006 when he figured prominently in the Eagles' third premiership.

Now, as he approaches retirement, collingwoodfc.com.au looks back on Lynch's 227-game career that had its origins at Princes Park way back in mid-2002.

Each season is covered in the present tense, charting the peaks and troughs of a 13 year career at the highest level.

2001
A powerhouse utility from West Perth who can take a strong mark and kick the ball long distances. Played senior football in the WAFL during the season and earned selection in the All-Australian under 18 team.

2002
Tall and muscular key forward who emerged from the rookie list mid-season and adapted superbly to the rigors of AFL football. Posted a goal with his first kick against Carlton in round 12 and followed up with bags of five goals against Adelaide in round 13 and Melbourne in round 19. Lost his spot in round 22 but was recalled for the finals.

2003
Failed to play a senior game, which was a surprise, considering he played 11 in his debut season in 2002. Is tall ands solid and might have work hard on his mobility to get back into selection calculations. Was named as an emergency three times.

2004
The tall defender enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in fortunes in 2005, playing 22 games after failing to make a senior appearance in 2003. The only blot on his copybook was the game he missed due to a club suspension. Looked assured at centre half back and provided a useful option in attack near the end of the year.

2005
Made a successful transition to the forward line after spending the majority of 2004 in the backline. The giant forward was the team's leading goalkicker with 31 goals, a haul that included two bags of four. However, his marking remains a concern and he eventually paid the price for the Eagles' misfiring forward line when he was dropped for the Preliminary Final and Grand Final after playing every game up to then.

2006
The Eagles were crying out for a prolific key forward, and Lynch answered the call. Spectacularly so. A cult hero among West Coast fans, the giant forward booted 65 goals for the year, the biggest individual haul at the club since 1999. His best effort was an eight-goal performance against the Lions in round 20, and he also booted three telling goals in the Grand Final.

2007
The big full forward was West Coast's leading goalkicker for the second consecutive year in 2007, kicking 52 goals and leading the side for contested marks to finish ninth in the best-and-fairest. A strong lead and booming kick, he is the go-to man in the Eagles' forward line and, at 25, should remain so for years to come.

2008
Much like Tiger Matthew Richardson, Lynch was released up the field in 2008, with spectacular results. Playing on a wing, as a ruck-rover and occasionally in the ruck, the fan favourite averaged 18 possessions, leading the club for contested marks (22), inside 50s (112) and goal assists (equal with Dean Cox on nine). The 26-year-old has not missed a game since round one, 2006, and with his newfound consistency and confidence, is seen as a leader.

2009
The big man again proved one of the best pinch-hitters in the game last season, filling roles in the ruck, as a ruck-rover and deep forward, reaching his 150th game in round 22. His 94 consecutive games is only three shy of Glen Jakovich's club record, and he also topped the Eagles for long kicks (92), inside 50s (103) and marks (127).

2010
Had an indifferent season and managed only 14 games, spending time in the WAFL. Is still valued at the club and was offered a new contract at the end of the season. Can be a hulking utility player, powerful forward or pinch-hitting ruckman and, with the new substitution rule, could be an interesting impact player late in games.

2011
After appearing on the outer in 2010, the hulking forward made a remarkable recovery and became a key cog in the Eagles' tall forward line last season. With a license to roam up the ground, he led the team for marks (157) and inside 50s (118) and kicked 28 goals.

2012
The former Eagle played 21 games but lost his spot late in the year and moved to Collingwood as an unrestricted free agent. A strong-bodied forward, he kicked 33 goals and reached the 200-game milestone against the Magpies at the MCG in round 13. Will be valued at Collingwood for his ability to play both forward and in the ruck.

2013
The man known as ‘The Q-Stick’ didn’t enjoy the season he would have dreamt of when he arrived from West Coast as a free agent last October. A player who thrives on a heavy workload, Lynch played in all four of Collingwood’s NAB Cup matches and opened the season with two majors and eight marks against North Melbourne.

The gutsy win over Carlton the following week proved to be his finest hour. When Darren Jolly was substituted out of the match with injured ribs, Lynch was forced to ruck solo against Matthew Kreuzer. Lynch rose to the occasion, winning 19 hitouts, 24 possessions, six clearances and seven inside 50s in a performance that won the hearts of teammates and supporters alike. It gave weight to the idea that he might be able to form a rucking combination with Jolly that mirrored the veteran’s partnership with Leigh Brown in 2010.

As it turned out, Jolly did not feature in the seniors after round 12 and Lynch’s form began to taper off as he struggled with a back complaint. He was prominent against the Demons on the Queen’s Birthday and could have really made an impression with his 22 possessions had he been able to convert his four scoring shots (he ended the day with 1.3).

The aforementioned back injury forced Lynch to have a spell on the sidelines and he returned via the VFL where he warmed up with a spell in the ruck against Geelong on a cold and wet Friday night at Kardinia Park. It was his 24 hitouts, 29 possessions, 15 clearances and seven inside 50s against the Casey Scorpions the following week that saw him catch the eye of the match committee who threw him straight back into the senior action.

A goal, five tackles and 21 touches against Essendon suggested that he was beginning to find his best at the right time of the year but a knee injury incurred in the final home and away match of the year against the Kangaroos saw him miss the following week’s Elimination Final.

2014
After featuring in Collingwood's first two NAB Challenge matches, Lynch began the season proper in the VFL. He performed well in the heavy defeat to Port Melbourne in round two but suffered a badly broken leg against Essendon a fortnight later. It sidelined him for 12 weeks, but gradually built up his best form on return, adding an exclamation mark to his season when he kicked five goals from 19 disposals against Bendigo in the final round of the home and away season.