Rory Lobb can expect a ‘fair bit of booing’ from Fremantle Dockers fans, says Caleb Serong

Former Docker Rory Lobb can expect a “fair bit of booing” from the Freo faithful in his return to the west on Friday night, according to ex-teammate Caleb Serong. The Purple Army’s reception for Lobb when the Western Bulldogs call on Optus Stadium looms as one of the biggest storylines of the blockbuster clash. The key forward sealed his departure from Fremantle last off-season after a failed attempt the year before and had some pointed words for the Dockers amid his exit, including saying he felt “disjointed” from the coaching staff. Serong said he expected Freo fans to be in full voice with their reactions to the 30-year-old, who spent four seasons in purple. “Fair to say I reckon there’ll be a fair bit of booing,” Serong said on Triple M. “We love their passion. We love it. We’re all for it.” Serong said he had no plans to chat to Lobb in the lead-up to the clash and would keep his focus on what the Dockers needed to do on the field in order to string together consecutive wins for the first time this season. “I think he’s still got a few mates at the club, so he’ll have a few that he’ll probably catch up with,” Serong said. “There’s a fair bit of talk externally about the exit and all this kind of stuff. But we’re 2-3, they’re 2-3 - we need to get a win this week. “We’re solely focused on getting that four points and we’re not going to let any distractions from him affect that.” A day after admitting he was “in disbelief” with Lobb’s claim that the pair barely spoke, Dockers coach Justin Longmuir said it was up to each supporter to decide how they would react in the crowd. “I’m not going to sit here and tell our fans how to respond,” Longmuir said. “They pay their money, they’re passionate about our club. “They can respond with whatever emotion they like.” It comes as Freo fans behind The Restump Podcast have teamed up with Midvale’s Dingo Brewery to produce a beer called Lobster Tears to commemorate the occasion. Featuring a cartoon picture of a lobster holding a footy and sporting Lobb’s old No.37, the beer is described as “a slightly salty raspberry sour”.

Rory Lobb can expect a ‘fair bit of booing’ from Fremantle Dockers fans, says Caleb Serong

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