Hill ruled out of Pies’ first final but McRae confirms a key return

2 weeks ago 3

Collingwood have ruled out Bobby Hill from Thursday night’s qualifying final against the Crows in Adelaide, but fellow forward Beau McCreery has been passed fit.

Hill did not take part in the Magpies’ main training session on Tuesday because of family reasons, although he could return to the club on Wednesday.

Bobby Hill will not face the Crows on Thursday.

Coach Craig McRae said Hill, the 2023 Norm Smith Medal winner, would not take part in week one of the finals.

“We support him with his family stuff that he is going through. He missed today, but he is training exceptionally well. Ideally, he is here [on Wednesday] or the next day so we can set him up for a tilt later in the campaign,” McRae said.

“He was never a chance to be available – it’s just to get some load into him. We are rapt he is back in our program, and it’s good to see him smiling again.”

Hill has had a bumpy two months because of personal issues, and has dropped in and out of training.

He has played just a half of AFL football since round 16, when he was the substitute against the Brisbane Lions in round 22, while he also had one game in the VFL on managed minutes.

Hill and McRae recently had dinner together, when Hill asked his coach to leave the door ajar for his return this season.

McCreery has been battling foot bruising but completed run-throughs under McRae’s supervision, and later joined in end-to-end drills and match simulation.

“Beau will play. He has done everything he needed to do to prove his fitness today. We will back him in. We will back our medical department in,” McRae said.

Midfielder Jordan De Goey took a knock to his ankle and left the training track but returned later.

Veteran full-back Jeremy Howe (groin) will miss Thursday’s clash, and did not train with his teammates.

McRae said Wil Parker, who joined several first-choice teammates in defence for the team wearing black in match simulation, was under serious consideration for a recall.

“He played well in Adelaide only a couple of rounds ago. We just love his fight and tenacity around the ball and the man. He is certainly a name [under consideration]. His magnet will be hard to remove from the team,” McRae said.

Despite speculation Daniel McStay could be sent to defence to replace Howe, he was used as a forward in match simulation. McRae said it was unlikely McStay would be used as a frontline defender. Fellow tall Mason Cox is also being considered for a return.

The Magpies will head to Adelaide confident they can win and advance into a preliminary final. They were beaten by only three points by the Crows in Adelaide in round 23 when they ultimately squandered 71 inside 50s (the Crows had 34). It was the Crows’ first win against the Magpies since 2016.

The Magpies replicated the dimensions of their training field to those of the Adelaide Oval, allowing players to adjust to the narrow wings. The factor they couldn’t replicate but need to prepare for is the largely hostile crowd waiting for them in Adelaide, even though there will be a fleet of buses from Melbourne helping Magpie members make the interstate trip.

The Crows will be under a searing spotlight in their first finals campaign since 2017. They will also hope to celebrate Taylor Walker’s 300th game in style.

“We are not naive to think we are playing a team that has won nine games in a row. They finished on top of the ladder,” McRae said.

“There is a huge build-up in Adelaide for what’s coming, a real excitement around [Crows coach] Matty Nicks’ first finals campaign, [many] of their players playing their first final.

“That is a huge build-up – we need to embrace and accept that.

“It’s a hostile crowd, there was a record 54,000 crowd before … we are going over with a real energy, but we are understanding of what we are getting into.”

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