Player Watch Bobby “Norm” Hill

[PieBeast]

Fly says he is in constant contact with Bobby, and that things are progressing towards him returning to the club at some point, which is great news....

I've lost count of the amount of times you've flip flopped on this issue.

 

[Jelly Bean]

It will be a disaster for us if we keep needing to pay Bobby an above average salary for many years if he can't recover from his condition / illness.

And I am not holding Bobby responsible at all - as many have said, mental health is super hard to work through, and certainly difficult to perform through.

I would be holding the club responsible for making the perplexing decision to extend him when he still had two and a bit full years on his current contract...Mind boggling decision. Just when we are starting be free from Treloar/Grundy salary mismanagement, we may be burdened with another 'non-productive' salary slot for many years to come.

 

[sideswipe]

It will be a disaster for us if we keep needing to pay Bobby an above average salary for many years if he can't recover from his condition / illness.

And I am not holding Bobby responsible at all - as many have said, mental health is super hard to work through, and certainly difficult to perform through.

I would be holding the club responsible for making the perplexing decision to extend him when he still had two and a bit full years on his current contract...Mind boggling decision. Just when we are starting be free from Treloar/Grundy salary mismanagement, we may be burdened with another 'non-productive' salary slot for many years to come.

Did you complain at the time Bobby was re-signed?

 

[Matrix10]

Fly and Moore have been fairly good with their updates when they say "no real change".

So for Fly to say that things are progressing, I believe him.

I have a bridge in Brooklyn ( NY ) to sell you .

 

[WanderingDude]

Collingwood extended three players during that time that were viewed as important but weren’t immediately OOC. Bobby and Cameron were on their initial contracts and the talk was they were underpaid. Long had been re-signed but was breaking out above expectation. The club looking after players is a good thing. The problem was players were performing better than expected. Not all contracts play out as parties would like. At the point of signing Bobbie’s contract was great. There are other club deals being signed right now that cause me serious concern, Bobbie’s didn’t.

 

[BillyElliott]

Been saying that for the last 18 months...

A bit of an a exaggeration.

He played 14 games in 2025.

 

[Scodog10]

It will be a disaster for us if we keep needing to pay Bobby an above average salary for many years if he can't recover from his condition / illness.

And I am not holding Bobby responsible at all - as many have said, mental health is super hard to work through, and certainly difficult to perform through.

I would be holding the club responsible for making the perplexing decision to extend him when he still had two and a bit full years on his current contract...Mind boggling decision. Just when we are starting be free from Treloar/Grundy salary mismanagement, we may be burdened with another 'non-productive' salary slot for many years to come.

He had one and a half years to run not two and a half. An 18 month lead time is pretty standard for a mid career player not approaching FA so the club was doing everything right at the time. Unless of course you know they had knowledge of his relationship breaking down early in 2025 when the negotiations commenced? It was perhaps even in 2024 that they kicked off.

Bobby was at the peak of his powers when the extension was completed and whilst I agree the current status quo cannot continue into 2027 (with each passing week and month my opinion shifts) you can’t blame the club for being unable to predict the future.

 

[TradeDraft]

I know there is a long way to go with this, but surely if his off field issues persists, there are mechanism in his contract that allows Collingwood to get out of it with no future cap hit.

You would hope so as sounds like this is not Fault of the Club

 

[TradeDraft]

Fly says he is in constant contact with Bobby, and that things are progressing towards him returning to the club at some point, which is great news....

But when is Some Point?

 

[TradeDraft]

Fly and Moore have been fairly good with their updates when they say "no real change".

So for Fly to say that things are progressing, I believe him.

But how much Progress

Doubt they would come out say he won't be back Ever or for a Long Time

 

[TradeDraft]

It will be a disaster for us if we keep needing to pay Bobby an above average salary for many years if he can't recover from his condition / illness.

And I am not holding Bobby responsible at all - as many have said, mental health is super hard to work through, and certainly difficult to perform through.

I would be holding the club responsible for making the perplexing decision to extend him when he still had two and a bit full years on his current contract...Mind boggling decision. Just when we are starting be free from Treloar/Grundy salary mismanagement, we may be burdened with another 'non-productive' salary slot for many years to come.

How can you not hold Bobby Responsible when we know nothing on what Happened?

 

[satty]

Fly says he is in constant contact with Bobby, and that things are progressing towards him returning to the club at some point, which is great news....

But he has a 4 year extension, no guarantee that this doesn't become an annual thing.

He would still have trade value if he started the pre season as normal and hadn't had time away from the club. What ever trade value he had was completely nuked in these past 2 months.

As the other poster has alluded to, we are potentially facing a JUH situation. Even if he comes back and plays at an AA level, his trade value will still be bad given the stretches of long absences.

 

[sideswipe]

But he has a 4 year extension, no guarantee that this doesn't become an annual thing.

He would still have trade value if he started the pre season as normal and hadn't had time away from the club. What ever trade value he had was completely nuked in these past 2 months.

As the other poster has alluded to, we are potentially facing a JUH situation. Even if he comes back and plays at an AA level, his trade value will still be bad given the stretches of long absences.

It won't become an "annual thing". Go back and read post #3,023. Might help.

 

[satty]

Collingwood extended three players during that time that were viewed as important but weren’t immediately OOC. Bobby and Cameron were on their initial contracts and the talk was they were underpaid. Long had been re-signed but was breaking out above expectation. The club looking after players is a good thing. The problem was players were performing better than expected. Not all contracts play out as parties would like. At the point of signing Bobbie’s contract was great. There are other club deals being signed right now that cause me serious concern, Bobbie’s didn’t.

Bobby had no issues when he was negotiating with Collingwood, nor did he have any issues since he crossed over to Collingwood.


Bobby was really playing towards a very lucrative contract, Collingwood did the right thing by extending him when they did .

 

[HFF]

Fantastic words from the gaffer.
Finally we are about to hold him to some performance standards not indefinite “love and care”.

It sounds harsh but that’s why Fly is a wonderful leader

He understands the balance and when the narrative needs to shift he isn’t afraid to do it.

I love his comment about come to play to the MCG not to love and care.

 

[Abdul_The_Bull]

But he has a 4 year extension, no guarantee that this doesn't become an annual thing.

He would still have trade value if he started the pre season as normal and hadn't had time away from the club. What ever trade value he had was completely nuked in these past 2 months.

As the other poster has alluded to, we are potentially facing a JUH situation. Even if he comes back and plays at an AA level, his trade value will still be bad given the stretches of long absences.

If the speculation is true (partner and kids now in WA and him wanting to get there) then the only options we have is to negotiate with two clubs. Not a strong position. We will be lucky to get a JUH type deal - which is worthless.
Disappointing for all involved, I should imagine.

 

[TradeDraft]

If the speculation is true (partner and kids now in WA and him wanting to get there) then the only options we have is to negotiate with two clubs. Not a strong position. We will be lucky to get a JUH type deal - which is worthless.
Disappointing for all involved, I should imagine.

At the Moment get 3rd round pick at very best

 

[satty]

At the Moment get 3rd round pick at very best

Honestly I would settle for no salary cap hit over the remainder of his contract over the level of draft capital we get for him in return.

We have been snake bitten by salary owed to players no longer on our list. We have done a lot of work to dig ourselves out of that hole, don't want us get dragged back into it with Bobby's contract.

 

[Sea fog]

Fantastic words from the gaffer.
Finally we are about to hold him to some performance standards not indefinite “love and care”.

It sounds harsh but that’s why Fly is a wonderful leader

He understands the balance and when the narrative needs to shift he isn’t afraid to do it.

I love his comment about come to play to the MCG not to love and care.

Well he has always said we want to be winners. Remember he had a go at the players who were on the ground after the Swans prelim loss. He wants us to be winners, the players know this and he knows its what the Magpie crowd want. We want to go to the MCG and know that winning is what counts most.

 

[manicpie]

Aussie = Bobby
American = Barbby
Italian = Bobbyo
New Zealand = Bobbi
Croatian = Bobbic
Poland = Bobbski

Can you think of any others?

 

[Pies_10]

He's obviously done here, should of cashed in on him last year

 

[Hugg]

I don't see it that way. The club can offer as much assistance as they can and Bobby can position himself to leverage that assistance. What is in question here is that he is occupying a list spot and taking salary cap space that could be invested in another. Bobby can be accommodated without him receiving full salary and limiting opportunity for others.
I don't think anyone is saying 'burn him' but there are many (me included) that are saying he should step aside from the paying list if things are that serious.

Yes

 

[manicpie]

He's obviously done here, should of cashed in on him last year

It sure seems that way. Hopefully he bucks the trend and comes back soon

 

[TradeDraft]

Honestly I would settle for no salary cap hit over the remainder of his contract over the level of draft capital we get for him in return.

We have been snake bitten by salary owed to players no longer on our list. We have done a lot of work to dig ourselves out of that hole, don't want us get dragged back into it with Bobby's contract.

Sadly I doubt either WA side would take his Full Contract

 

[Peters_Nuts]

Sadly I doubt either WA side would take his Full Contract

Pending Bobby’s work ethic. If he’s training well at the back half of this season, then clubs would happily take on the contract for a 3rd rounder (sadly all we’d get at best at this stage).

Let’s hope he comes back motivated and pushes for selection late in the season. I want him to stay.