Bobby Hill won’t earn a sensational Collingwood recall for Saturday’s preliminary final, with Magpies coach Craig McRae ruling out the Norm Smith medallist in a “really difficult” call.

Hill has played just one match since June - a cameo appearance as the substitute in round 21 - amid challenging personal circumstances.

The silky forward trained with teammates on Thursday morning as he pushes for a return, but McRae dismissed the prospect of Hill being named against Brisbane.

Hill starred in his most recent finals match in 2023, crowned the Norm Smith winner for a brilliant four-goal display in the grand final win over this week’s opponent in the Lions.

“Bobby won’t play this weekend,” McRae said on Thursday morning.

“It was really difficult - I told him before training ... it was a c

See Full Page