โBut I think there are two parts to this situation โฆ I want to be a coach, and we want to be an environment where we just love and care for our people, all our people, from players to staff, and then thereโs the high-performance part.
โWeโre paid to win. You come to the MCG not to love and care. You want to see winners.โ
Crafty forward Bobby Hillโs future at Collingwood is unclear.Credit: AFL Photos
Hill was given personal leave in the second half of last season, but returned to the senior line-up against Brisbane in round 22. He was used as the substitute in that match and had just the four disposals, and did not play in the finals after the Magpies prioritised fitter players over the match-winning abilities of the 2023 Norm Smith medallist.
He is contracted until the end of 2030.
โFor most of the year, for Bobby, it was about love and support, and there was very little attention to high performance because we just wanted to care for him,โ McRae said.
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โThen there comes a time late in the year when they become about high performance. Thatโs where itโs sitting at the moment.
โItโs always a delicate balance of those two magnets. They somewhat collide, at times. But weโll continue to love and support him, and at the right time, get him in the environment to push forward for high performance.
โIโve been speaking to him regularly, yesterday [Tuesday] even. Iโm constantly talking to Bobby. Itโs probably a bit too early to say (when heโll return), but weโre confident that itโs progressing.โ
McRae took extended leave over the pre-season because he felt mentally fatigued after a solid year. Geelongโs Chris Scott was also given more time off, raising eyebrows within the football community.
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โItโs been interestingly reported having some time off, but you make a prelim(inary) final, then a couple of weeks later youโre into trade period, and next thing youโre headed overseas with the high-performance team to Scotland,โ McRae said.
โThen, before you know, itโs Christmas, and you go: โWell, I wouldnโt mind a breathโ.
โI think after doing it for four years, you realise where you can actually take a breath โฆ and early in January is the time when the players are just getting to work.
โThe grind is on. I came back and set some clear intentions around new themes and introducing new families into our environment with new draftees, and then I just took a bit of extra time.
โMy garden has never looked better โฆ I just think itโs important, and I think anyone who has done the job would realise, thatโs probably the best time for it.โ
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