Collingwood coach Craig McRae has ruled Bobby Hill out of Saturday’s preliminary final against Brisbane but refused to shut down the possibility of the forward making a dramatic grand final return.
Hill, 25, has featured in just one game over the past three months due to personal reasons, but has been training consistently for the past four weeks.
McRae said the decision to leave him out was based on “a lot of little things”, including match fitness, tactical needs and selection integrity.
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McRae urges Hill to stay ready
Speaking ahead of the Magpies’ main session, McRae revealed he had urged Hill to keep working towards a comeback. “I’d like to think so (able to pick Hill for a grand final), I don’t want to take away hope for the young lad,” he said.
“He’s progressing towards that, I mentioned that to him, ‘Please keep training well, keep turning up, keep being present, keep getting better every day’. There may be a world where that could be true.”
While admitting the conversation was tough, McRae praised Hill’s response. “Credit to him, he trained really, really well, and that shows how far he’s come in the last period – he’s working hard to get back, this is not permanent, that’s what I said to him.”
The Magpies remain hopeful of reaching another decider, where Hill’s pace and spark could yet play a role. For now, the small forward’s fate hinges on Collingwood getting past Brisbane at the MCG.