Magpies star Bobby Hill’s no-show at training after the birth of his daughter is shaping as the final straw that will see him leave the club, it has been reported.
Hill was given three weeks off when his partner Georgia Devlin brought their baby girl Hazel into the world last month.
The 26-year-old has not played a single minute for the Pies this year after taking personal leave from the team in the offseason.
He and Devlin had a high-profile split that the Daily Mail exclusively reported in July 2025, after Hill had failed to play for Collingwood for several weeks.
The Magpies refused to comment at the time, but the social media accounts belonging to Hill and Devlin spoke volumes, with the relationship breakdown shocking the AFL world.
Hill’s usually vibrant Instagram feed had gone quiet, with the forward having removed nearly all photos of his partner and their two young sons, Bobby Junior and Malakai.
Bobby Hill is pictured with Georgia Devlin. Their split last year resulted in the Pies star only making one appearance for the club after round 15 last season
Hill has not played a single minute of football for Collingwood’s first-grade side in 2026 and was an unexplained absentee from training on Monday
The 26-year-old had been given more time away from the team due to the birth of his daughter Hazel (pictured) last month
Now footy reporter Xander McGuire has revealed Hill had an ‘unexplained’ absence from training and his future at the club has been thrown into doubt as a result.
‘There’s no way to sugar-coat this – this is a setback for where Bobby Hill has been,’ McGuire told Channel Seven’s The Agenda Setters on Monday night.
‘This Sunday, in fact, actually marks one calendar year to the last time that Bobby Hill completed one full AFL game.
‘So Collingwood’s aware that his return won’t be linear as he navigates complex personal issues in his own life.
‘Time is really running out for Bobby Hill to make an impact and to remain in the … standing that he is in the AFL right now.
‘The heat has been building over the last six months, but particularly in the last six weeks.’
McGuire’s fellow panellist Tom Morris added that ‘people at Collingwood and around Bobby Hill are seriously questioning whether he’ll ever play for Collingwood again.
‘At some point, Collingwood is going to start looking for a way out, a way to break a contract and support him on the way through.’
Hill is pictured with his Norm Smith Medal for being best on ground during the Pies’ 2023 grand final win. He is contracted to the club until the end of the 2030 season
At the time of writing, Hill and Devlin (pictured together) still aren’t following each other on social media
The winner of the 2023 Norm Smith Medal for best on ground in the Pies’ grand final win is contracted to the Pies until the end of the 2030 season.
At the time of writing, Hill and Devlin still don’t follow each other on Instagram, and he was not tagged on her post revealing the news about Hazel, leaving the status of their relationship up in the air.
Not long after the split, Hill stepped away from footy, embarking on a five-week hiatus that coincided with Devlin and the children returning to Western Australia.
During that period, Hill shared an emotional post about missing his sons, marking the first public sign of the breakdown.
Hill posted a poignant image of himself with his boys alongside the caption: ‘Gonna miss you guys. Dad loves yous.’
He returned briefly for the Magpies in Round 21 against Brisbane last year, only to be ruled out again the following week with illness.
As questions mounted, Hill did not travel with Collingwood to Adelaide, despite later reports he had intended to join the squad.
Around the same time, Hill’s cousin Bradley Hill reportedly contacted Collingwood out of concern, an intervention that is said to have caused a rift between family members.
