AFL Trade News: Out-of-favour Western Bulldogs forward could be on the move, with Collingwood set to make surprise swoop 

Western Bulldogs forward Rory Lobb could be on his way to Collingwood at the end of the year. Per a report via Zero Hanger, the Magpies are looking to rope in the 31-year-old key forward to bolster their attack.

Lobb, who joined the Dogs last year, has fallen behind the pecking order, with coach Luke Beveridge playing Sam Darcy, Aaron Naughton, and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan ahead of him. He has played only three games this term, and the Magpies could make a swoop for the out-of-favour forward.

Recently, SEN reporter Michelangelo Rucci disclosed that Collingwood has their eyes on Lobb.

“If I was to fast-forward to the end of this year, Rory Lobb would be at Collingwood,” Rucci said. “I'm hearing Collingwood is going to make an approach to his management.”

A trade for Lobb would be apt, considering the Magpies' key forward Dan McStay has largely been out due to injury. If Lobb eventually becomes a Pie, it will be his fourth spell with an AFL club, having played for GWS Giants, Fremantle, and Western Bulldogs.

Only a handful of AFL players have represented four clubs in the history of the game. Tom Hickey, Ben Hudson, Matthew Clarke, Phil Carman, Martin Pike, and Richard Osborne are some of the notable names who have won the guernsey of four different AFL sides.

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Luke Beveridge believes Rory Lobb is a key player for the Western Bulldogs

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge believes Rory Lobb has more years to play footy and is still an integral member of his side. The 31-year-old joined the Bulldogs last season but has only made 20 appearances since joining from Fremantle.

"As a guy in his early 30s, he didn't play a lot of footy as a teenager, and if anyone's gonna have a long career, it's Rory Lobb," Beveridge said. "So I see him as having another half-a-dozen years in the game and I think he's got a really long period in his career ahead of him. And that's important to remind him of, too - he just needs to persevere through this part."

“He's absolutely (a) significantly required and needed player at our club and I hope that half-dozen years he's got left in him are with us,” he added.

The Bulldogs are in the second half of the AFL standings. They have a 3-5 record and are 11th in the league after eight rounds of games.