Premier League forward Bobby Hill was embraced by his Collingwood teammates after returning to official training on Monday and starting preparations for a senior call-up later in the year.
Hill, 26, had been away from the Magpies for several months due to personal issues before his unexpected return last Friday.
There were fears that the 2023 Norm Smith medalist he will miss the entire seasonand the Magpies have missed his beauty inside the attacking 50.
As he walked onto the field on Monday, Hill – with bleached blonde hair – was greeted with a standing ovation by his teammates and staff. He had a good chat with Jamie Elliott before the whole squad began preparations for Friday night’s clash against Greater Western Sydney at Marvel Stadium.
Hill, who last year signed a four-year contract extension, has been training in the city’s stadiums recently with a trainer, his fitness improving significantly during this period.
The way he trained and worked with his teammates showed that he is in a better place mentally than when he took time off from the club.
While there was a lot of focus on Hill, the Magpies also kept a close eye on captain Darcy Moore and fellow veteran defender Jeremy Howe. Each missed the round 1 loss to the Adelaide Crows, Howe due to an ongoing calf problem, while Moore was recovering from a calf problem before injuring a hamstring on the eve of the Crows clash.
Moore and Howe joined practice at the start of training camp, and are pushing to be called up to face the Giants.
More to come
Jon Pierik is a sports journalist at The Age. He covers the AFL and has won awards for his cricket and basketball coverage.Connect through X or email address.
