Speculation Rory Lobb [OOC 2026]

[Freomaniac]

He's in a bit of a weird position with a trade.

He's not a "leader of young men" type senior player, so the rebuilding teams wouldn't want him. So that leaves the older, more experienced contending teams as his main targets.

But said experienced teams probably don't need him, or could find someone else/better to fill the role he'd play.

So who wants/needs him?

I agree with your post on the situaton.

Yeah Rory Lobb is in a weird Position of a trade.

The Bloke is 31, still has 2 years to go after this season is done.

Teams in the bottom 6 like North Melbourne or Richmond would help those types of clubs. But neither side is winning a flag or making finals in 2 full seasons.

Lobb wants to Stay in Victoria I am looking at the Vic clubs that are contending for finals and in the top 10 or 12....

Essendon: 2nd on the ladder. I wouldnt of predicted Lobb a chance o jon essendon this time last year. They have Peter Wright. Could Essendon have Rory Lobb on a 2 or 3 year deal at $5-$600,000 a year as Depth? Maybe.

Carlton: They Beat Port tonight. They have Curnow and McKay. Lobb could be handy as depth for 2 or 3 seasons if one of those 2 blokes get injured.


Melbourne: I can see Rory Lobb head to the demons. Ben Brown is out of contract. Brown turns 32 at the end of the year. But Ben Brown is injury prone isnt he? I can See Rory Lobb in demons colours in 2025 if Ben Brown leaves the demons.

Geelong: Cats have Tom Hawkins who turns 36 this season and certain to be in his final year. Cameron is 31 years old. I can See Hawks retire at the end of thise season and Lobb and Cameron as the 2 main KPFs for the cats for 2025, 2026 and possibly 2027. Then the cats can rotate other younger tall forwards from the bench.


Magpies: I see him as an upgrade for Mason Cox. So of all the Vic teams, he would easily be in Magpies best 22.

 

[The 747]

I agree with your post on the situaton.

Yeah Rory Lobb is in a weird Position of a trade.

The Bloke is 31, still has 2 years to go after this season is done.

Teams in the bottom 6 like North Melbourne or Richmond would help those types of clubs. But neither side is winning a flag or making finals in 2 full seasons.

Lobb wants to Stay in Victoria I am looking at the Vic clubs that are contending for finals and in the top 10 or 12....

Essendon: 2nd on the ladder. I wouldnt of predicted Lobb a chance o jon essendon this time last year. They have Peter Wright. Could Essendon have Rory Lobb on a 2 or 3 year deal at $5-$600,000 a year as Depth? Maybe.

Carlton: They Beat Port tonight. They have Curnow and McKay. Lobb could be handy as depth for 2 or 3 seasons if one of those 2 blokes get injured.


Melbourne: I can see Rory Lobb head to the demons. Ben Brown is out of contract. Brown turns 32 at the end of the year. But Ben Brown is injury prone isnt he? I can See Rory Lobb in demons colours in 2025 if Ben Brown leaves the demons.

Geelong: Cats have Tom Hawkins who turns 36 this season and certain to be in his final year. Cameron is 31 years old. I can See Hawks retire at the end of thise season and Lobb and Cameron as the 2 main KPFs for the cats for 2025, 2026 and possibly 2027. Then the cats can rotate other younger tall forwards from the bench.


Magpies: I see him as an upgrade for Mason Cox. So of all the Vic teams, he would easily be in Magpies best 22.

I'll go down to Geelong and riot if we pick up Rory Lobb.

He's a marginal upgrade on Mason Cox possession wise and a significant downgrade in the contest.

 

[MisterMarcus]

Geelong: Cats have Tom Hawkins who turns 36 this season and certain to be in his final year. Cameron is 31 years old. I can See Hawks retire at the end of thise season and Lobb and Cameron as the 2 main KPFs for the cats for 2025, 2026 and possibly 2027. Then the cats can rotate other younger tall forwards from the bench.

I imagine we'd be backing in Neale as the "key forward who can chop out in the ruck" role. 10 years younger than Lobb and performing about the same level.

 

[MarcMaverick]

I imagine we'd be backing in Neale as the "key forward who can chop out in the ruck" role. 10 years younger than Lobb and performing about the same level.

Plus you have Toby Conway in the ruck. Conway and Neale should convince Geelong not to chase for Lobb.

Edit. You guys also have Sam De Koning, Tom Stewart and Mark Blicavs. You're well stocked for talls.

 

[MisterMarcus]

Plus you have Toby Conway in the ruck. Conway and Neale should convince Geelong not to chase for Lobb.

I mean, there's definitely an argument that both of them are still pretty raw and green, and could do with a big mature body as a backup.

But even then, I'd be hoping we'd go for a cheap ruck from somewhere else than fork out squillions for Lobb.

 

[Pleasedontfail11]

I'll go down to Geelong and riot if we pick up Rory Lobb.

He's a marginal upgrade on Mason Cox possession wise and a significant downgrade in the contest.

Agree he is a side grade selection for the Pies. Cox is contracted next year so what's the point in getting him.
Looks like a salary dump for the Dogs. He is similar to Grundy at the dees accept he would be worth less due to a combination of age and unknown form.
If he is on 400k then I sure a team would pick that up for two years and take a risk on him for a late-ish pick. But if he is on 550k+ then the Dogs could be desperate to get him out.

 

[Jugada]

Would be a good get for North if he is mostly concerned with playing AFL footy. Should be in the team every week and they desperately need a semi competent tall forward to try to be competitive

 

[Ash1337]

Agree he is a side grade selection for the Pies. Cox is contracted next year so what's the point in getting him.
Looks like a salary dump for the Dogs. He is similar to Grundy at the dees accept he would be worth less due to a combination of age and unknown form.
If he is on 400k then I sure a team would pick that up for two years and take a risk on him for a late-ish pick. But if he is on 550k+ then the Dogs could be desperate to get him out.

There's no need to offload him if he's on 500k. He's still good depth as shown in his last game. Played mostly up the ground and competed in the ruck to let Darcy play a forward game. We're glad we got him still or we'll be playing the likes of Croft who is not ready or Busslinger forward .

 

[Jeremias]

Would be a good get for North if he is mostly concerned with playing AFL footy. Should be in the team every week and they desperately need a semi competent tall forward to try to be competitive

Yuck. I can't think of a worse fit to be honest.

He'd be an awful target for North who are desperate for experience and leadership to help them through their rebuild.

 

[Pleasedontfail11]

There's no need to offload him if he's on 500k. He's still good depth as shown in his last game. Played mostly up the ground and competed in the ruck to let Darcy play a forward game. We're glad we got him still or we'll be playing the likes of Croft who is not ready or Busslinger forward .

Melbourne supporters said the same about Grundy although he was on a bit more. 500k is too much for depth and he wants to play AFL not VFL so he will be traded. Plus I feel that the dogs will need the money for Smith and or English and you probably want to start testing players like Croft and Busslinger next year.

 

[ShaunWDT]

Think his biggest problem is his output doesnt justify the salary, not sure theres many teams wanting to pay 500k plus a year for a bloke that kicks 30 at his best and will be 32 early next year.

 

[Jugada]

Yuck. I can't think of a worse fit to be honest.

He'd be an awful target for North who are desperate for experience and leadership to help them through their rebuild.

They're also desperate for AFL standard players so they dont have blokes like Toby Pink having to roll forward. He doesn't have to tick every box they need

 

[threenewpadlocks]

This idea that you can just go out and recruit the competing forward/ruck for 400k a year instead of Lobb's 500k is just silly. Supply and demand forces these salaries and there just isn't a supply of key forwards that you'd feel comfortable taking more than about 10% of ruck contests in a game across the league.

On the other hand you have the likes of Pies fans here who believe that Rory Lobb

7

Rory Lobb

Age

31

Ht

207cm

Wt

106kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.0

3star

K

6.7

3star

HB

4.4

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.4

4star

G

0.9

4star

D

11.3

3star

K

8.0

3star

HB

3.3

2star

M

4.6

4star

T

1.4

2star

G

1.0

4star

D

7.0

2star

K

4.0

2star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.6

3star

wouldn't be an upgrade over someone like Mason Cox

46

Mason Cox

Age

33

Ht

211cm

Wt

110kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.7

2star

K

5.2

2star

HB

3.5

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

1.6

4star

G

1.2

4star

D

6.0

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.0

2star

M

2.3

2star

T

0.3

1star

G

1.0

4star

D

9.0

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

3.6

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.8

5star

, so common sense doesn't seem to take charge here.

 

[The 747]

This idea that you can just go out and recruit the competing forward/ruck for 400k a year instead of Lobb's 500k is just silly. Supply and demand forces these salaries and there just isn't a supply of key forwards that you'd feel comfortable taking more than about 10% of ruck contests in a game across the league.

On the other hand you have the likes of Pies fans here who believe that Rory Lobb wouldn't be an upgrade over someone like Mason Cox, so common sense doesn't seem to take charge here.

Player 1 gives you on average 8 disposals, 1 goal and 11 hit outs a game.
Player 2 gives you on average 11 disposals, 1 goal and 10 hit outs a game.

 

[rye]

Player 1 gives you on average 8 disposals, 1 goal and 11 hit outs a game.
Player 2 gives you on average 11 disposals, 1 goal and 10 hit outs a game.

they say football is a game of inches

player 2 could be the difference maker

 

[The 747]

they say football is a game of inches

player 2 could be the difference maker

Sure, but then there are some things like team culture, individualism, willingness to get hurt and salary to consider.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Player 1 gives you on average 8 disposals, 1 goal and 11 hit outs a game.
Player 2 gives you on average 11 disposals, 1 goal and 10 hit outs a game.

Ignoring the fact that you're squishing far different goalscoring abilities down to "1 goal", it's clear that player 2 is an upgarde.

For forward/rucks, that three disposal difference is literally the difference to "we pick him because we need to have structural balance, but he's not offering more than that" to "this guy can actually offer some positive value". One's replacement level. One's above that.

 

[Jeremias]

They're also desperate for AFL standard players so they dont have blokes like Toby Pink having to roll forward. He doesn't have to tick every box they need

He doesn't have to tick every box, but some would be more important than others.

Being an upgrade on Toby Pink would be lower down than being a good team mate, a good leader, and a consistent performer, among many other things that count against him.

There are clubs who should be keen on Lobb because he has some strengths that could be very handy in the right system. North Melbourne is not that system.

 

[Jugada]

He doesn't have to tick every box, but some would be more important than others.

Being an upgrade on Toby Pink would be lower down than being a good team mate, a good leader, and a consistent performer, among many other things that count against him.

There are clubs who should be keen on Lobb because he has some strengths that could be very handy in the right system. North Melbourne is not that system.

He is half decent at football. If that’s not the number one priority for North right now they will get no where. North need to get competitive talent more so than over the hill leadership types

 

[Jeremias]

He is half decent at football.

Yes, he is.

If that’s not the number one priority for North right now they will get no where.

It has been the number one priority for a few years and they have gone nowhere.

North are desperate to surround their kids with players who can help them through a hard rebuild, both physically and from a leadership perspective.

North need to get competitive talent more so than over the hill leadership types

North need talent and leadership. They will continue to hit the draft for the former, but I reckon a 32 year old needs to bring the latter for them to be at all interested.

Rory Lobb is not and never will be a leader. Has not left a club on good terms because he's after money and has seemingly never bought into a team ethos at any club.

I dare say North fans would be furious if they brought him in.

 

[Jugada]

Yes, he is.

It has been the number one priority for a few years and they have gone nowhere.

North are desperate to surround their kids with players who can help them through a hard rebuild, both physically and from a leadership perspective.



North need talent and leadership. They will continue to hit the draft for the former, but I reckon a 32 year old needs to bring the latter for them to be at all interested.

Rory Lobb is not and never will be a leader. Has not left a club on good terms because he's after money and has seemingly never bought into a team ethos at any club.

I dare say North fans would be furious if they brought him in.

North need to start being competitive in games if they want to build anything. Can guarantee Nick Larkey would love having a semi decent forward up there to give him a hand.

Carrying on like he is the most unethical toxic bastard out there which I’m fairly certain he isn’t.

Needing leadership as well doesn’t mean you turn down decent players. No reason you shouldn’t be going after all different players, not trying to only get players that tick all the boxes

 

[Jeremias]

North need to start being competitive in games if they want to build anything.

Absolutely. Which is why it's pretty well accepted that they need to add experience.

Carrying on like he is the most unethical toxic bastard out there which I’m fairly certain he isn’t.

He may be. Again, looking for a 4th club with very few admirers at any of the other 3 isn't a great sign.

Needing leadership as well doesn’t mean you turn down decent players.

It does if they don't fit culturally. It's not as simple as saying 'player X is good', these days there is a lot more to it than that.

Anyway, you clearly disagree but I'm pretty confident North won't be going there.

 

[MisterMarcus]

He is half decent at football. If that’s not the number one priority for North right now they will get no where. North need to get competitive talent more so than over the hill leadership types

I just don't see how someone like him is any sort of good fit and culture-builder for a team of impressionable youth.

Not that there's anything inherently wrong with chasing the money and wanting an easy ride without having to work too hard for it. It's just not what North need.

Plus they've already brought in a few 'just okay' players on big money. They don't need any more.

 

[The 747]

Ignoring the fact that you're squishing far different goalscoring abilities down to "1 goal", it's clear that player 2 is an upgarde.

For forward/rucks, that three disposal difference is literally the difference to "we pick him because we need to have structural balance, but he's not offering more than that" to "this guy can actually offer some positive value". One's replacement level. One's above that.

Not an upgrade when you consider one is a sook who has bailed on three clubs.

But keep on selling

 

[The 747]

they say football is a game of inches

player 2 could be the difference maker

Did my post mention inches?