Bobby Hill Reconnects with Magpies as He Embarks on Return Journey
Norm Smith medallist Bobby Hill has made a significant step in his return to the Collingwood Magpies, visiting the club’s AIA Centre. While he didn’t participate in training, Hill was met with a warm reception from coaches, teammates, and club officials, marking his re-engagement with the team as he works towards his playing comeback.
The talented forward, who has four years remaining on his contract, has been diligently working with a personal trainer and is slated to undertake further training sessions in the coming days. The club is deliberately avoiding setting any specific expectations or timelines for his return to the field, focusing instead on his gradual reintegration. Hill was sidelined for last year’s finals series and only featured in one game as a substitute after June last season.
Collingwood officially granted Hill a leave of absence in early January to address personal matters. Head coach Craig McRae recently commented on the situation, expressing the club’s commitment to supporting Hill and reintroducing him to a structured training program when the time is right.
“Bobby is working on himself at the moment,” McRae stated. “We’re hoping that he’ll be in the program in the short or medium term. We’ll see how that progresses. We’ll continue to love and support him, and at the right time, get him in the environment to push forward for high performance.”
Hill has been an instrumental player for the Magpies since his arrival in 2023, following a four-year stint with the GWS Giants. He was a key contributor in his debut season, booting 33 goals, and delivered a standout performance in the Grand Final, kicking four goals to help secure the premiership in McRae’s second year at the helm. The Magpies currently have a bye week.
Ross Lyon Defends Saints’ Slow Start Amidst External Noise
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has strongly defended his team’s unconvincing start to the AFL season, asserting that the Saints are “pursuing excellence” despite their two losses. Ahead of their clash with the GWS Giants in Sydney, Lyon addressed the scrutiny surrounding the team’s performance, particularly after an ambitious trade period and the acquisition of several high-profile players.
During a press conference, Lyon was questioned about the pressure faced by key recruits such as Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, reportedly a $2 million investment, and Tom De Koning, who joined from Carlton for a reported $1.7 million. Lyon dismissed the notion that their job was to manage external expectations.
“Well that’s not our job,” Lyon retorted. “That’s why AFL football is abnormal. It’s not like what you do. You’re not under scrutiny, like you choose AFL football, you choose stress, you choose anxiety, you choose to be in the arena. I’m happy to be in the arena. I know what’s coming, but you’ve got to write your own story, and traditionally, both those players [De Koning and Wanganeen-Milera] have written really strong AFL stories. That’s why it’s AFL, it’s high performance and it’s abnormal. If you want normal, you step the other side of this microphone, the other side of the fence, on the ground, and you pursue mediocrity in your life. These guys are pursuing excellence, and with that comes a lot of critique in terms of the on field.”
Lyon highlighted the team’s focus on improving their ability to retain possession during turnovers, acknowledging it as a critical area that “really hurt us” in their recent defeats to Melbourne and Collingwood. He admitted that the Saints had been “inconsistent in some areas.”
Despite the early-season challenges, Lyon maintained that the club’s foundation remained strong. He pushed back against suggestions that it would take time for the team to develop chemistry and cohesion.
“There’s been a lot of noise, apparently, but [it] doesn’t come up on my algorithm,” he stated. “I’m not really across everything, except I hear the media department tell me there’s a lot of noise, so I can finetune my algorithm so it feeds me that stuff.”
When asked if the 0-2 start had increased the pressure on his coaching role, Lyon responded that the pressure of being an AFL coach is inherent to the position.
“No less than when you sign up to be an AFL coach,” he said. “Just because there’s noise and rhetoric doesn’t increase the pressure. The greatest pressure is internal for performance.”
The Saints are preparing to face GWS in Sydney this Saturday.
