THE WESTERN Bulldogs' AFLW program will have some additional support next season, with Rory Lobb set to take on a mentoring role within new coach Tamara Hyett's football department.
Lobb has been lending a hand as the Dogs returned to pre-season training in recent weeks ahead of the AFLW campaign beginning in August, working predominantly with the side's rucks and key-position players.
The versatile 206cm tall is the second player from the Dogs' men's program to cross over into an AFLW coaching role at the Whitten Oval recently, with retired premiership star Toby McLean also joining as an assistant coach ahead of the 2024 season.
Lobb's move into a part-time coaching role comes after he returned to the AFL side in recent weeks, ensuring his place in Luke Beveridge's plans through his versatility playing as both a ruck-forward and as a strong-marking intercept defender.
"I'm just working with the girls a little bit on body work, leading patterns, those sorts of things. I'm identifying what to do in a contest," Lobb told AFL.com.au last week.
"I feel like I've been around long enough, so I feel like I can help some people through that. I'm really enjoying it.
"I did my coaching course and then I just saw the opportunity to help the girls out, but obviously it's crossing over a lot now. I talked to a couple of the girls and they were really keen to learn and pick my brain.
"I figured I'd get to a couple of training sessions and help them out. Their willingness to learn is unbelievable."
Lobb recently completed the AFL's Level 2 Coaching course and is considering a future in coaching beyond his playing days, though he's hopeful of remaining in the AFL system for a couple of years yet.
He still has two seasons remaining on the four-year deal he signed to join the Bulldogs at the end of 2022, having also represented Greater Western Sydney and Fremantle across his 167-game career.
"It's always good to just have different things," Lobb said.
"It's hard when you're playing football and you've been in the system so long. There's a lot of players that come out and there's so much going on, you don't know what you want to do.
"The more I can have these things in place ... if I still really love game – and I love the game now, I don't know where I'll be in a few years, but I want to play as long as I can because I love it so much – but if it's coaching after football, it's coaching. If I want to get away from football completely, I'll go in that direction."
The Bulldogs' AFLW program has undergone significant off-season change, with Hyett replacing Nathan Bourke as the club's senior coach back in February and the highly credentialed Patrice Berthold also hired as the club's new head of women's football in March.
As revealed by AFL.com.au last week, long-time men's recruiter Dan Fisher has also been appointed as the club's new AFLW list manager.
