Collingwood’s 2023 premiership hero Bobby Hill will take a break from football after he and the club agreed to part ways.
The Magpies confirmed the mutual decision in a statement on Friday morning.
“We thank Bobby for the contribution he has made to the Collingwood Football Club,” Collingwood’s executive general manager of football Charlie Gardiner said before holding a press conference.
“The club has been working with Bobby over the past 12 months to put support structures in place to help him work through some personal matters.
“Despite this, Bobby has unfortunately struggled to meet his commitments to the club consistently this year and agreed that taking a break from football is the best decision for him and his family.
“Bobby will always be recognised as a premiership player and a Norm Smith medallist at Collingwood and we wish him all the very best.”
Sadly, the decision was confirmed after Hill received a horrific direct message on Instagram from a fan angry with the 2023 Norm Smith medallist’s output over the past 12 months.
The Age chose to blur out the worst of the language directed at Hill.
“You have disappointed this whole club and it’s 100 thousand plus fans what you have done the last 18 months,” the account posted. “I hope nothing but the worst for you.”
Hill said in the Collingwood statement he hoped to regain his passion for the game.
“I’ll always be proud to have been part of this Club and thankful for the opportunity to represent Collingwood – I leave with memories I’ll cherish forever,” he said.
“I’m going to take a break from football to keep working on myself and regain my passion for the game.”
The racial abuse comes a week after Magpies defender Isaac Quaynor was booed by Adelaide fans despite being the victim of a homophobic slur from Izak Rankine in a game last year.
Coach Craig McRae threw his support Hill after the Pies’ 25-point loss to the Cats, which was compounded by a suspected broken arm to star defender Jeremy Howe.
Hill has not played a game this season after managing only 14 last year.
“It’s a crazy place at times, isn’t it? I don’t do social media, so bear with me, but I did look at a website which had feedback, and the feedback is unbelievable,” McRae said.
“It’s just a cesspool for people just to vent. I find it fascinating that’s actually something that people would be interested in. If Bobby’s listening there, I’m sorry to hear that’s the case. We’ll always love him. It’s sad to hear that.”
The Pies’ task of claiming a berth in the top six has become more difficult after injuries to Howe and reliable defender Harry Perryman.
Nick Daicos sent a scare through the Collingwood camp when he left the field in the first quarter to receive treatment after having his right foot trodden on. McRae said the superstar suffered bruising from the incident.
Daicos played out the game, finishing with 35 disposals but, with tagger Oisin Mullin shadowing him, did not have his usual impact.
Howe has been sent to hospital for scans on a suspected broken left arm. The injury is to the same arm he broke horrifically in the first round of 2023.
The Pies believe the injury is on the minor end but may require surgery, placing his participation in the rest of the home-and-away season in doubt.
The Pies’ defence is already missing skipper Darcy Moore, while Perryman is also facing time on the sidelines. Collingwood, whose six-game winning streak is over, face West Coast in Perth next week before daunting games against Hawthorn and the Brisbane Lions at the MCG to round out the home and away season.
“He’s gone to hospital to get it checked out,” McRae said of Howe. “The likelihood is he’ll probably need an operation, but it’s probably too early to tell until the surgeons and specialists have seen that.
“[From] the things I’ve been told is it’s on the minor end, but still it’s going to require an operation that might be able to mend it. [It’s] nothing like the last one, but he’s got a plate in there since the injury.”
McRae said Perryman’s hamstring injury, which he sustained in the second term, was also on the minor end. The new issue is on the opposite leg to the hamstring he strained earlier this season.
Hamstring strains typically require a minimum 21 days’ recovery, which would have him in doubt to play again before the finals.
The Pies, who have dropped a spot to ninth, will likely need to win all three of their remaining matches to break into the top six and avoid having to go all the way from a wildcard slot.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
