“Look after the club”: Collingwood chief on Bobby Hill exit

Collingwood and Norm Smith Medallist Bobby Hill have come to an agreement, allowing the troubled forward to leave the club.

The 26-year-old has had his contract terminated after struggling with personal issues in recent times.

Hill has featured in Collingwood's VFL setup three times this season, having not played at AFL level since Round 21, 2025.

Magpies CEO Craig Kelly said while it's sad to see Hill go in this manner, the club simply had to look after themselves.

“I’m sad because he’s a special player and I would have loved to see him still playing for us out here,” Kelly said on SEN’s AFL Nation broadcast on Friday night.

“We’ve got to look after the club and we’ve got to move on and we’ve got to make sure we’ve got that sorted out.

“I just hope he gets a chance somewhere else and he’s happy and healthy.”

Kelly was asked by Gerard Whateley: Does there need to be more built-in protection for clubs?

“The clauses are there,” Kelly said.

“If you’re standing up there as a club and you’re saying you’ve got genuine care for not just the players, but the staff, and you want an environment that attracts people, then you’ve got to give every opportunity for those people if they’ve got a bad time happening in their personal life.

“How do we make that better? How do we help them?

“But then there comes a time where we need you to do the role that you’re being paid to do.

“It’s there in the contracts and agreements. It might need a tidy up with the Players’ Association. I spoke to James Gallagher and the AFL this week.

“It’s there, I just don’t think anyone has really looked at it really carefully and had to go through what we’ve gone through.”

The agreement in place will see Hill depart as a delisted free agent, cutting short his remaining four-season, $750,000 per year contract with the Pies.

"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," Hill said via a club statement.

"I'm going to take a break from football to keep working on myself and regain my passion for the game."

Cornes: Hard to think of a “bigger waste of talent” than Hill

Kane Cornes says it’s “hard to think of a bigger waste of talent” regarding Bobby Hill.

Hill was a key contributor in Collingwood’s 2023 premiership, kicking 33 goals for the season including four on Grand Final day when named Norm Smith Medallist.

The 26-year-old has been dealing with personal issues which have kept him out of the AFL side since Round 21 last season. He has played at VFL level on three occasions this year, last appearing in May.

The situation surrounding Hill has ebbed and flowed, with the former Giant making numerous returns to training before taking more time away from the club.

Throughout the process, the Magpies have been devoted to supporting Hill with his personal struggles while remaining open to the possibility of a full-time return.

However, the financial strain was testing Collingwood’s patience and impeding the club’s off-season flexibility.

Cornes believes the Pies have done enough in standing by the troubled talent and paying his salary despite getting little in return.

“I think they have been very generous paying him to this point,” Cornes said on SEN’s Locked In.

“They are lucky they are able to escape the next three years with that being outside their salary cap considering the long-term deal is your risk.

“I feel like they have got out of it about as best they could.”

He added: “Hard to think of a bigger waste of talent.

“There’s a couple but he’s in the top 10 I would have thought.”

Former Crows forward Josh Jenkins agrees that it as been a significant fall from grace.

“He is and it’s a damn shame,” said Jenkins.

“From the club’s perspective, in the moment he probably seemed very much worthy of the contract they gave him.

“He goes from a Norm Smith Medal to 24-36 months later not even turning up to work.”

Before Cornes added: “Be very careful who you give your long term deals to, I think clubs are starting to learn that to.”

The lack of games played by Hill has caused a void in Collingwood’s salary cap.

Caroline Wilson reported on Channel 7’s Agenda Setters on Tuesday night that the Pies have come to terms with Hill who is reportedly on $750,000 per year.

CEO Craig Kelly and the club have been happy to support Hill’s welfare, however, it has got to a point where they are unwilling to pay the small forward beyond this season.