Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Collingwood premiership hero Bobby Hill has made his long-awaited return to training.
The 2023 Norm Smith Medallist had not trained since December after he was granted extended leave to deal with his personal issues.
Hill was one of the first players out on the track at Collingwood’s Olympic Park facility on Monday morning as the Magpies prepare for GWS at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.
The 26-year-old reportedly returned to the club late last week but did not participate in any training during Collingwood’s bye week.
Hill still has a long road back to playing senior football after such a long period away but his attendance at training is a colossal step forward.
The eventual selection of Hill would be vitally important for the Magpies after coach Craig McRae conceded the connection inside 50 was “average” against Adelaide.
“That’s reality, we’re not getting much out of our keys, that’s real (and) we’re not going to shy away from that. We’ve got work to do on that,” McRae said.
“I think there’s a connection breakdown at times (but) the second and fourth quarters we kicked nine of our 11 goals, so you say no then.
“What about the last quarter? How is our connection? I’d say pretty good … that’s what you get at Round 1: opportunities to go against other teams and figure out what the issues are right now.
“Centre bounce has been a bit of a pattern for us. We’ve got some work to do, and then we’ve got some work forward of the ball.”
