On the day following their respective birthdays, Caleb Serong and Rory Lobb seemed connected at the hip during Monday’s training session.

Serong, a highly-rated football talent taken at no.8 in the 2019 NAB AFL National Draft, was an unlikely partner alongside versatile forward/ruck Lobb in the forwardline for significant periods of Monday’s 18 v 18 hitout.

After turning 27 on Sunday, Lobb gave plenty of guidance during play and in the breaks to his young teammate who turned 19 the same day. 

While Serong is slated for a career in the midfield, Lobb said he expects to see Serong spend at least some time forward as he develops.

“I’ve been really impressed with him as an inside mid when he’s playing up there,” Lobb said. 

“He came up forward to play a bit of a different role and it’s good to have that versatility.

“He went really well, he listens well and, hopefully, he can play a few games this year.” 

Lobb said he was impressed with how eager Serong was to learn and hopes it means they will team up well if they end up forward together in 2020.

“It’s always good when a player asks questions when they don’t know what’s going on,” Lobb said.

“He was learning a different role. He’s working on that craft as an inside mid but you can be thrown forward, which can happen in games, so it’s good that he wants to learn.”