Collingwood coach Craig McRae has revealed that Bobby Hill is "truthfully, battling" and remains a considerable distance from resuming his AFL career. The 2023 Norm Smith Medallist returned to training on Thursday morning after a trip to Western Australia for personal reasons, marking the latest disruption to his football journey.
Hill has managed only three VFL appearances this season, with his most recent AFL game occurring in Round 22 of last year. When asked about Hill's current state, McRae stated: "Truthfully, battling."
"I had a really good chat with Bobby this morning and over the last period — he has a bit going on, let's be really clear. He has a lot going on," McRae added. "He's a work in progress, but it's nice to have him in the building. He's a long way away from playing footy ... but again, when he's in our building, at least we get some opportunities to make him feel that he's loved and appreciated. That will never waver, and I'm chatting to him yesterday, having really deep conversations about this stuff."
McRae emphasised his role as a father-figure to his players. "Regardless of whatever happens in life, there's a level of care. These young men, in my eyes, are like my sons," he said.
The coach confirmed that Hill would not play at any level this weekend. "There's a lot of work to be done before he plays," McRae said.
Maynard and Moore Updates
Brayden Maynard will not return this Saturday against Port Adelaide, despite the hard-nosed defender's eagerness to resume quickly from a dislocated shoulder suffered in the King's Birthday loss to Melbourne. "Reality set in that he probably has a bit more work to do on that shoulder. It's still a little bit unstable. He's a warrior, he wants to play most weeks. He said 'don't count me out for next week', but we'll see how that goes," McRae said.
Captain Darcy Moore has returned from an overseas trip as he recovers from a hamstring injury. It remains unclear when he will play again, but McRae described the trip as "a massive gain."
Recruitment Plans
The Magpies are poised to make a significant offer for Brisbane star Lachie Neale, who becomes a free agent at season's end. "I've said openly that we want to be in the market for free agents. We'll explore everyone who's still available," McRae said. "We have to be progressive in the way we think about the game. We've created a free agency for a reason - it's like going fishing in a small pond."
McRae noted that recruiting a star such as Neale would immediately boost the Magpies. "There's definitely an energy. When we bring Dan Houston and Harry Perryman in ... the locker room gets excited," he said.
Veterans' Future
The coach remains "open-minded" about whether veterans Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom, and Jeremy Howe will continue playing next season. "Ideally, we unveil a statue when he exits. He deserves that," McRae said of Pendlebury.
Debutant
At the other end of the playing scale, 19-year-old midfielder Sam Swadling will make his AFL debut against Port Adelaide. He was recruited from Western Australia with the No. 37 pick in last year's national draft.
