An excited Bobby Hill caught the attention of his teammate, Nick Daicos, who is a star player for Collingwood, during practice. Hill is trying to get back to playing with the Magpies after taking some personal time off.
Hill, who won the Norm Smith Medal in 2023, has had a mixed two months, spending time both inside and outside the football club.
Since round 16, he has only played a half of AFL football, serving as a substitute against Brisbane in round 22 and participating in one game in the VFL for limited time.
Last week, Hill had dinner with coach Craig McRae, where he asked his coach to keep hope alive for his comeback this year.
Meanwhile, Daicos spoke highly of Hill after he finished a key training session for the upcoming match against Adelaide on Thursday night.
“He was amazing. If you see him at practice, you can tell how exciting he is. It’s wonderful to have him back and feeling good,” Daicos shared.
“We really like having Bobby around, he brings so much joy (but) it’s a daily journey for Bob and it’s been fantastic to see him train so well. “
“I believe he’s extra motivated; he seems to be really enjoying his time playing football. The most important thing for us is that he’s smiling and having fun at the club. ”
Daicos, who received the AFL Players’ Association Most Valuable Player award and made the All-Australian team on Thursday night, emphasized the need to take things one day at a time with Hill.
While he spoke cautiously, Daicos’ excitement for his teammate was clear in his body language.
“We know Bob is very important to our team, and it’s a day-by-day process with him,” he mentioned.
“The strength and conditioning team just wants to make sure he’s able to complete his training, which he’s currently doing.
“As I said, it’s really thrilling to see him out there with the ball, taking on players, so it’s up to them to decide when he’s ready – we’re just happy to have him around. ”
The Magpies are set to travel to Adelaide just a few weeks after their intense match with the Crows. Not only did the Crows win by a small margin, but Izak Rankine, a star player, was also suspended for using a homophobic slur against a Collingwood player.
Daicos expressed that Rankine’s absence is a loss for the Crows, but he is confident that the top team will adapt.
“He’s a really dynamic player and has had an incredible year. Stopping him requires a lot of strategy,” he explained.
“We don’t usually tag players as a team, but matching him up would likely be someone like Isaac Quaynor, who is a strong defender. ”
He had definitely concentrated on that. Izak Rankine is a real boost for Adelaide and their fans. It will be intriguing to see how they do without him, but I believe they have many players who will rise to the occasion.
