FIVE minutes post-game with 24-year-old Port Adelaide ruckman Matthew Lobbe quickly restores your faith in the notion that football hasn't changed too much.
Lobbe was leaning against a wall in the rooms with an icepack wrapped in plastic around one of his tree trunk legs, quietly speaking to family.
His nanna, Anne Martin, wearing a Port Adelaide scarf and a Lobbe fan badge pinned to her chest, lent forward to say goodbye with a kiss.
Lobbe, who grew up in Emerald in Victoria's Dandenongs, said 'thanks for coming' and the 20-strong contingent of relatives drifted away as the questions from reporters began.
It was an average scene that surrounded a player who had just put in an above average performance.
Against the Cats, Lobbe had rucked solo and managed 17 disposals, nine contested possessions, 59 hit-outs and four clearances, helping Port Adelaide win the clearance count 43 to 30.
His coach Ken Hinkley often appears as placid as a cow post-match but the mere mention of Lobbe had him mooing.
"Lobbe was sensational, pretty close to best on ground I would have thought the way he played," Hinkley said. "In a game where we got beaten pretty easily he was a significant player for us."
Lobbe fits the laid back mould. When asked what his nanna's name was, he joked was that he wasn't sure: "I just call her Nanna," he said.
He then gave an accurate assessment of how far a high ball had travelled between being kicked in the third quarter and him being paid a mark close enough to goal to kick his third for the season.
"I think it went about one metre to be honest," Lobbe said.
Although the contentious decision drew laughter from most at the ground, Lobbe kept a straight face when the whistle went.
But he did not mince words when assessing the team's performance.
"We really wanted to be brave and take them on and not be scared at all," Lobbe said. "I think we showed a lot of fire with our last half. We showed we could be braver and when we were, we were good enough, but we were disappointed with our first half."
Rucking solo doesn't worry Lobbe.
He revels in the opportunity and he believes the midfield group is trending upwards.
"We've grown every week and our understanding keeps growing," Lobbe said. "All the boys there are competitive and want to win."
Playing just his 38th game, the No.16 pick from 2007 is having the sort of breakout season that has the coach excited.
"We are really pleased with his form right through the back half of the year. He has stood up on his own all the time and just seems to be getting better with each game, which is really pleasing."
