Western Bulldogs veteran Rory Lobb has reaffirmed his ambitious goal to continue playing Australian rules football until the age of 40, disclosing the details of a friendly wager he has made with teammate Matthew Kennedy.
Earlier this year, ahead of his 200th game, Lobb raised eyebrows by announcing his intention to extend his career into uncharted territory. The 33-year-old, who stands at 206cm, is currently at his third club. He began his AFL journey with the GWS Giants in 2014, spent five seasons there, then moved to Fremantle for a four-year stint before joining the Bulldogs at the end of 2022.
Throughout most of his career, Lobb played as a forward and ruckman, but he made a successful switch to defence during the 2024 season. This positional change has proven to be a masterstroke, revitalising his career. He has also demonstrated remarkable durability at the Bulldogs, having not missed a game due to injury until a recent hamstring setback two weeks ago.
However, playing until 40 would be a monumental challenge, as only two players in VFL/AFL history have reached that milestone. Essendon legend Dustin Fletcher retired at age 40 in 2015 after 400 games, while Vic Cumberland played his final game for St Kilda at age 43 in 1920. The oldest current player is soon-to-be games record holder Scott Pendlebury, aged 38, and fellow 400-gamer Shaun Burgoyne was a month shy of his 39th birthday when he retired in 2021.
Lobb is contracted with the Bulldogs until the end of 2027. Reflecting on his fitness, he said, "Hopefully I don’t have any more hamstring injuries. I’ve been pretty lucky since I’ve got to the Dogs, it’s only my second game that I’ve missed since coming to the club, other than obviously being dropped to play VFL. I’ve been very durable since I’ve come to the Dogs. I feel like I’ve got plenty of footy left in me. I can play multiple roles. I’m just enjoying my football and I love the environment, so I really don’t want to give it away. And I’m 33 years old, I did start a little bit later. They always say you can sort of find a couple on the back end. I feel really, really confident in my body. I love the environment. I just want to play for as long as I can."
Such is Lobb’s confidence in achieving the mark that he has made a wild tattoo bet with Kennedy. Recalling the conversation, Lobb said, "Matt Kennedy and I were having a coffee, and I think I saw Zach Merrett say that he’ll play to his 40 or something like that. And I said, I could do it. And Matty said, ‘there’s no chance’. And then me with all the tattoos that I have, Matt only has like, I think, one little home job. I was like, if I play til I’m 40, you’ve got to get a tattoo of me on a goat body, just taking the piss a bit. And if I don’t get there ... I just need to be on the list. I’m happy to be on a list helping all these young players develop. So if I’m playing VFL and I’m on the list at 40, I don’t mind. It still counts. But yeah, he’s got to get the body of a goat and my face. And then I’ve got to get his face on me somewhere if I don’t get there."
