The Department of Education says every WA student deserves to feel safe at school after AFL star Rory Lobb bravely opened up on his battle with being bullied as a teenager.

In a gut-wrenching interview on Channel Seven’s Unfiltered, Lobb, who is currently representing Western Bulldogs after stints with Greater Western Sydney and Fremantle earlier in his career, said he experienced suicidal thoughts as a result of constant physical and emotional abuse inflicted upon him while at Governor Stirling Senior High School.

“I’ve blocked out a lot throughout my life and it’s a bit of a blur and I feel like that was a bit of a coping mechanism,” the 33-year-old said.

“My year nine was just like hell. It was a really hard time in my life . . . and I didn’t really have the tools to handle the situation that I was in.

“I was lucky enough to speak to my mum when I was having suicidal thoughts and I feel like I was very close to tipping over the edge.”

In a statement to The West Australian, the Department of Education’s deputy director general Steve Watson said it was “saddening to hear Rory Lobb speak about his experiences of bullying as a student”.

“His experience is important and deserves to be heard,” Mr Watson said.

“Any form of bullying is unacceptable, and the Department of Education has zero tolerance towards violent and antisocial behaviour in schools, including strong consequences for bullies.

“Staff in Western Australian public schools have access to a range of guidance, resources and professional learning designed to help them create safe, inclusive and supportive learning environments.”

Mr Watson said WA schools had a number of strategies in place to both prevent bullying and respond when it occurs.

“Students have a right to feel safe at school, and parents can also seek further support through Department’s regional offices if they need additional assistance and have spoken with their school about bullying,” he said.

“Western Australian public schools will be implementing the National Framework for addressing bullying in Australian schools from the start of 2027, with appropriate guidance to be provided to schools ahead of Term 1 next year. This will help to further strengthen responses to incidents of bullying.”

Governor Stirling SHS, who run a specialist football program, list Lobb among their notable alumni on their website.

Lobb was drafted by the Giants in 2013 and spent five years at the club before being traded to the Dockers.

After four seasons with Fremantle, he moved to the Bulldogs in the 2022 off-season, where he has remained since.

The forward-turned-defender, who also represented WA in AFL Origin earlier this year, has played 221 games at the top level across his 13-year career.

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