Collingwood star Bobby Hill's potential split with partner reportedly behind AFL absence
Collingwood gun and West Australian Bobby Hill has returned to training and is closing in on a return from a month-long absence for personal reasons.
The 2023 Norm Smith medallist hasn't played since the Pies' win over St Kilda in round 15 on June 21, with the club citing personal reasons and then illness for his absence.
In an update posted on Tuesday, the club said they are expecting the forward to return next week.
'Bobby Hill has missed the side's last three matches due to personal reasons and was unable to train last week due to illness. Hill returned to training over the weekend,' the club posted.
'His focus is on resuming full training before a timeline is placed on his return. The Club continues to support Hill throughout this period.'
The Daily Mail has reported that Hill has split with partner Georgia Devlin, with the couple unfollowing each other on social media and scrubbing their accounts of photos of each other.
There are reports that Devlin has remained in WA with Hill's two children, with homesickness a major factor behind the split.
It would be a devastating blow for Hill, who is often pictured with his two young boys at training and after games.
'When the kids come to sing the song after a game, it feels like a country footy game - the club say I can have the kids in with me whenever I can, so it's good, it feels like a big family,' Hill said in May.
The couple have been together since Hill's rise at GWS, where he debuted at just age 18, and was beside him as he battled testicular cancer.
Hill credited Devlin for helping him overcome the ordeal.
'I always asked why me?' in that situation. I wouldn't put that upon anyone,' he said.
'But going back to my family and here at the club, it's made me a stronger man.'
Collingwood have elected to close ranks around their star with coach Craig McRae saying the club would not be commenting on the situation.
However, in good news for Pies fans Hill did post a photo of him with his boys and Collingwood teammates with an hourglass emoji, hinting a return is not far away.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
2 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Clayton Oliver's home broken into by thieves ahead of AFL milestone
Melbourne midfielder Clayton Oliver will play in his 200th AFL game on Saturday despite having his home broken into by thieves. Late on Friday, the Demons confirmed exclusively to 7NEWS that the home invasion happened earlier this week. The club says the 27-year-old is OK and and will take the field for his milestone game against Carlton tomorrow night. Oliver trained freely today, showing no signs of any stress from the incident. Melbourne could not say if anything was stolen or if Oliver was home at the time. It's the latest chapter — albeit not one that was his fault — in what has been a turbulent couple of years for the three-time All-Australian. Oliver had a desire to be traded to Geelong at the end of last year, but Melbourne held firm, holding him to his lucrative and long-term contract. The denied attempt at a move came after a string of off-field and personal issues which saw him take time away from the club. Since fighting back from those challenges, Oliver has returned to the fold but is still working to rediscover his best form. Trade speculation is expected to resurface at the end of this season, when it now appears Oliver's premiership teammate Bailey Fritsch could also be on the move, despite coach Simon Goodwin's dismissal of the suggestion. Out of finals contention, the Demons (6-11) insist there is plenty left to play for over the last six rounds of a disappointing campaign. Fritsch's name has been floated this week as a possible trade candidate, the 2021 grand-final hero having had an inconsistent season up forward. But Goodwin declared Melbourne's focus is firmly on adding to their list in pursuit of success, rather than paring it back for a full-scale rebuild. It comes after the club held onto Christian Petracca and Oliver last year during a rocky trade period, when the contracted midfield stars both explored their options. 'We're in a mindset of getting better and at the end of the year we'll sit down and work through what all that looks like,' Goodwin told reporters on Thursday. 'We feel as a footy club we're very stable, both off the field and now on the field, from 12 months ago. 'So we feel like we're in a really, really strong position to make some really strong and good decisions moving forward about how we get to where we want to as quick as we can.'
News.com.au
7 hours ago
- News.com.au
Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick will send Mac Andrew to Adelaide goalkicker Riley Thilthorpe after they clashed in round 4
Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick is excited for the rematch between Suns star defender Mac Andrew and giant Adelaide goalkicker Riley Thilthorpe despite the likelihood things could get fiery again in one of the matches of the round. The pair of young stars got up close and personal in a feisty aftermath of the Suns' one-point win in round 4 after Thilthorpe gave away a late free kick and Andrew went straight at him as the final siren sounded, getting in his face. Andrew copped some criticism for his behaviour, but Hardwick declared on Friday the rematch was on, and it could be a contest the two go at for the next decade, with both teams emerging as the next wave of regular finals contenders. 'It's great for the game,' Hardwick said on Friday of the impending match-up. 'They are two combative, competitive players. And that's the thing we love about sport, you know, the competitive nature of individuals and it's what they bring. 'They'll play on each other predominantly this week, but they'll be playing on each other for the next 10 to 12 years I'd imagine, which is really exciting not only for Adelaide and, you know, the Gold Coast Suns, (but) for the AFL in general. 'They're going to be outstanding players, if not outstanding players already. So they're well acquainted and now they'll continue that this week.' The Suns are backing up from last week's stirring win over ladder-leaders Collingwood that Hardwick said cemented 'belief' that his team was a legitimate contender with a first finals campaign on the horizon. But Hardwick, who won three premierships with Richmond, said it didn't mean his players could take their foot off the gas, and that was the message being driven home. 'One of the things we've been consistently speaking about is breaking that narrative of we're not the old Gold Coast Suns, we're the brand new Suns and what that looks like,' he said. 'So we control that narrative. It's our story to write, and that's the most important thing about our players. If they continually focus on the next shift, we're going to be OK. 'If we allow ourselves to drift too much in the future or get dragged down by the past, that's when we're going to find ourselves in trouble. 'But just keep worrying about where your feet are right now and let's make sure we keep playing our style of game and just focus on that next shift mentality.' The Suns will take on the Crows without inured star Touk Miller, who Hardwick labelled 'irreplaceable', even more so heading to the Adelaide Oval where the Suns have never won. 'No greater challenge against what I think is probably the best form team in the competition at the moment,' he said. 'It's going to be a challenge for us. We're playing in a hostile environment. We've never won at this ground. We're playing against the form side, so we're looking forward to it. 'And, you know, once again, we'll bring our best and hopefully prevail at the end.'
West Australian
8 hours ago
- West Australian
West Coast Eagles youngsters prepared to stand up to protect Harley Reid against Richmond
West Coast's next generation have pledged to throw their weight around to help protect star Harley Reid should Richmond look to target the midfielder in their clash at Optus Stadium on Saturday. Reid has drawn plenty of attention from opposition teams not only through regular tags, but also as they look to provoke the passionate Eagle knowing if they can get under his skin he is likely to react and potentially concede a free kick. The 20-year-old leads the AFL for free kicks against with coach Andrew McQualter conceding the midfielder needed to learn how to play on the line without crossing it more often than not. This has been exacerbated by the absence of injured senior midfielder Elliot Yeo this year, with the dual All-Australian having served as a vital on-field mentor in Reid's eye-catching first season. Fellow second-year midfielder Clay Hall said he was prepared to stand up for Reid if the Tigers looked to target Reid. 'That's something I'd love to do for someone who is a fellow draftee of mine,' he said. 'We're the same age and to watch how much he cops it on the field and off the field as well in terms of media, it's a little bit unfair at times. So we'll support him as much as we can. 'He's been fine. The game is two hours of a whole week. He's a different person apart from what he produces on the footy field, he's just like everyone else. (He's) one of my best mates around the club.' Eagles defender Harry Edwards said Reid's propensity to give away free kicks had been raised at team meetings this week but he backed the young man to continue to play the same way. 'He's got to find the line between playing on the edge and that competitive, combative style that he plays which we obviously love to see from him,' he told SEN. 'He's got to find the line between that and giving away too many free kicks but he is a kid battling his ass off in there. 'He'll figure that out with time and we love the way he plays. I'd prefer him to keep going about it the way he does.' West Coast lack seniority in their midfield with Yeo sidelined with injury and recruit Jack Graham serving a four-match suspension for a homophobic slur earlier this month. It has left Hall, Reid, Brady Hough and Elijah Hewett to carry the brunt of the load against the bigger bodies of more senior outfits in recent weeks. 'I love it. Those names, they're just some of my best mates around the club so to be able to go out there on the weekend and line up in a centre bounce it's awesome,' Hall said. 'I played junior footy at HBL with Houghy, played state footy with Hewey and up against Harley in the state champs. 'These are guys I've been around for a while now so we're really starting to get to know each other a lot better.' West Coast's inexperienced midfield is set to be boosted by the inclusion of 2023 club champion Tim Kelly, who went back to the WAFL last week to find form and responded with 27 disposals and two goals to earn an instant recall. Hall said Kelly had been a great mentor to him and the other young midfielders so to have him in the side would only help. 'I haven't played too much midfield time with TK. I'm not sure exactly what he's doing yet but if he does go in there I'd love that,' he said. 'He's been a great mentor for me especially this year since he's been one of the few senior players rolling through the midfield. 'To be able to go out there with him would be awesome.'
