Western Bulldogs utility player Rory Lobb appears to be seeking a move to his fourth AFL club due to limited opportunities in 2024, leaving him frustrated.
Despite starting the season as the third tall forward alongside Aaron Naughton and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Lobb has since been surpassed by youngster Sam Darcy. However, Lobb did play in Rounds 7 and 8 when Ugle-Hagan was unavailable before being demoted back to the VFL.
Lobb, who signed a four-year contract with the Bulldogs that runs through the end of the 2026 season, is reportedly planning to request a trade, preferably to a club in Victoria, according to Channel 9’s Tom Morris.
“It’s only May, but (Lobb) will request a trade at the end of the season to a fourth AFL club, preferably in Victoria,” Morris stated on the Footy Furnace. Despite the Bulldogs’ awareness of his remaining two-year contract, they are unlikely to trade him for less than they believe he is worth.
Even with Naughton sidelined for at least a month due to a medial cruciate ligament (MCL) injury, which could see Lobb return to the lineup, Morris believes this situation won’t change Lobb’s plans.
Key-position forwards are always in demand, and several teams could benefit from Lobb’s services. Collingwood, dealing with injuries to key players like Dan McStay, Mason Cox, and Brody Mihocek, is reportedly very interested in Lobb. SEN’s Michelangelo Rucci mentioned that Collingwood is leading the race to acquire him, stating, “If I was to fast-forward to the end of this year, Rory Lobb would be at Collingwood. I’m hearing Rory Lobb is going to Collingwood… or rather Collingwood is going to approach his management.”
