Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge is urging Rory Lobb to embrace the booing when the key forward confronts his former club in Friday night's AFL clash with Fremantle in Perth.
Lobb's messy exit from Fremantle at the end of last season means he will be enemy No.1 at Optus Stadium on Friday.
The 30-year-old has endured a tough start to his time at the Bulldogs, booting just three goals in four appearances.
Fremantle have also struggled without Lobb, with the Dockers opening the season with a 2-3 record amidst some forward line struggles.
Dockers fans are tipped to give Lobb a frosty reception on Friday night, but Beveridge doesn't think the 207cm spearhead will be put off his game.
"Rory's expecting it, and we'll help him deal with it and we'll help him play as well as he can," Beveridge told reporters on Thursday.
"I don't think the booing of Rory Lobb tomorrow night is going to be an issue.
"It's definitely topical when it comes to other players at different times, but we just need to welcome it and (welcome) the hostile environment we're going to walk into tomorrow night."
Just last week, Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley took issue at people booing 19-year-old recruit Jason Horne-Francis, saying people should be embarrassed heckling such a young player.
Sydney champion Adam Goodes was driven out of the game by booing that had racist undertones.
Beveridge doesn't have an issue with booing, as long as it's done in the right context.
"Booing is ingrained in our game ... it's quite a natural phenomenon as far as I'm concerned," Beveridge said.
"From when we were all kids, at the footy, spectators have always tried to get the upper hand and help their team by booing opposition players.
"But if there's something sinister and nasty attached to it, then I don't think any of us condone it."
Two of the Bulldogs' most traumatic recent big-game losses have come at Optus Stadium.
They lost the 2021 grand final to Melbourne by 74 points and coughed up a 41-point lead in last year's 13-point elimination-final defeat to Fremantle.
But there have also been happy memories, most notably a 101-point win over West Coast last year.
Beveridge doesn't think last year's elimination-final loss to Fremantle will continue to haunt his players.
"It's not an issue. You've got to move on from episodes like that," he said.
"We've had a similarly traumatic ending to a year the year before that, on the same oval.
"But we've had some really good wins out here and the boys enjoy playing here."
