Collingwood coach Craig McRae has made an emotional public plea to Norm Smith medallist Bobby Hill, saying the club's love for the premiership small forward remains unconditional — even as the pair appear headed for a permanent split. McRae made the heartfelt remarks on Tuesday, revealing he had not seen Hill in some time and had been unable to make regular contact with the 108-game veteran.
McRae's Message to Bobby Hill
Speaking with his eyes visibly welling, McRae said Hill had been absent from the club's facilities for an extended period, with the forward understood to be dealing with significant personal issues. Hill has managed only three VFL games this season and is widely expected to part ways with Collingwood.
"[I] haven't seen Bobby in the building for a while, which it's always something, as a coach, you go, '[I] hope the young lad's going OK,'" McRae said.
"If you're out there, Bobby, we've got a lot of love and care for you, and still do, and [we] never, never change, [and] never waver in our love and support for the young man. We're always trying to remain connected, and sometimes [it's] a bit harder than other times."
McRae said his concern for Hill extended well beyond football, describing the emotion of thinking about a young father of three navigating difficult circumstances.
"There is an emotion attached to it … there's the playing part, the high performance of what he's capable of doing for our team and for our supporter base, and then there's the other personal part of, as a father, [you] get emotional thinking about a young man with three kids," he said.
"We want the best for all our players [who have] come into our environment, [to] be good humans, and be a good father and a good husband."
Hill is contracted with Collingwood until the end of 2030 on a deal worth approximately $750,000 per season, according to league sources. He has played 108 games across stints with GWS and the Magpies.
Magpies Roll into Adelaide on Five-Game Win Streak
Despite the off-field uncertainty surrounding Hill, the Magpies arrive at Thursday night's clash against Adelaide in strong form, having won five consecutive matches in a run of games they had specifically targeted. Collingwood currently sit eighth on the ladder.
McRae indicated Scott Pendlebury is likely to play, though a rest remains possible given the return of premiership backman Jeremy Howe, who trained strongly on Tuesday. Fellow defender Isaac Quaynor, who suffered a minor wrist complaint late in the win over Carlton, is also expected to take his place in the side.
Josh Daicos did not train on Tuesday due to an ankle complaint, with a final fitness call potentially delayed until game time. McRae confirmed a decision could come as late as the warm-up.
The match will also mark a milestone occasion — Jordan De Goey's 200th AFL game. McRae described the in-form midfielder as performing at the best level he had seen since taking over as coach. De Goey, who is pushing for All-Australian selection, is contracted until the end of 2027 and is keen to negotiate a multi-year extension, league sources say.
Adelaide will again be without the suspended Izak Rankine for Thursday's fixture. The Crows defeated Collingwood by 14 points when the two sides met at the MCG in round one.
Tony Modra Thanks Paramedics After Near-Fatal Accident
Away from the Collingwood camp, Adelaide great Tony Modra has taken to social media to thank the doctors and paramedics he credits with saving his life following a near-fatal accident last month. The former Crows goal-kicking star posted on Instagram on Tuesday, expressing deep gratitude for public messages of support and revealing he had undergone surgery to have several titanium plates inserted into his face as part of extensive reconstruction to "put me back together."
