Western Bulldogs defender Rory Lobb believes reducing lapses in games will be his club's route to finals in 2026.
The Dogs finished with 14 wins and a percentage of 137 in 2025 but fell four points short of the top eight, as they struggled to beat the best sides in the competition, who were able to get on top of the Dogs for extended periods.
Of the Bulldogs nine losses, seven were by margins of 18 points or less, highlighting how telling those momentum shifts were.
“In the close games, stemming the flow of the opposition (is critical),” Lobb said in his first week back of pre-season.
“You can't have a quarter where the team kicks five in a row on you. You have to find ways to stop the goals – being a little bit unpredictable in the contest at times.
“We were in every game we played.
“It's about bridging the gap in finishing those and getting over the line.”
The Bulldogs targeted Cal Wilkie and Mark Keane in the off-season to bolster their defensive depth but was unable to land either.
Set to likely line up with a similar to line up to the one which finished 2025, Lobb is confident the young defenders will be able to take a step forward.
"Guys like James O'Donnell and Jedd Busslinger are so young and they're really scratching the surface in what they're capable of.
"I feel like we've got a really good core down there and I feel like we're going to improve."
Having spent more than a full season in defence, Lobb is confident about where his own footy sits.
In his third season at the kennel, Lobb averaged 12 disposals, six spoils and two intercept marks.
“Since moving down back, it's the happiest I've been at a football club – it's such an amazing environment that guys like (Marcus Bontempelli, Tom Liberatore and Luke Beveridge) have created here,” Lobb said.
“I was always happy at this club, but I just wasn't playing consistent football at the start (of my time) here.
“Now that I'm back, I feel like I could play another 5+ years.
“Hopefully I've got a few more in me but I'm loving the environment here.
“These guys are so young, the more games that we play together, we're only going to get better, so me playing a year and a half as a back, I learned a lot this year about where I can get better and improve in games.
“In some games I got it right and in games like the Freo game at the end of the year I got it wrong.
“Guys can see the mistakes they make and mistakes i make and we can learn and get better.”
The Bulldogs have finished ninth in two of the past three seasons and would have qualified for finals under the new top 10 format.
Lobb expressed his support for the new finals structure.
"There's a few mixed feelings about it but there's more football and I love playing football," Lobb said.
"It takes away that bye weekend before finals, which I feel like was a bit annoying at times.
"When I was at the Giants and you make top four and then have the week off, you're missing out on football.
"But it's exciting and puts a little bit more atmosphere coming into finals. It's good."
