Norm Smith Medal winner Bobby Hill has opened up on his phenomenal 2023 grand final performance, saying “I felt like nothing was going wrong” in his epic second quarter.
Hill exploded in arguably his best AFL game yet in Collingwood’s premiership triumph over Brisbane last September – including kicking four of his five goals in the first half alone – three in just the second term.
Perhaps the gun small forward’s biggest highlight of the day was taking an electrifying hanger over Brandon Starcevich late in the second quarter, leading to his third goal in a moment you sensed a special performance was brewing.
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As Hill recounted on Fox Footy’s Collingwood Grand Final recall, he was “buggered” at the start of the play and couldn’t even see the ball in flight when Jeremy Howe kicked it to him inside 50.
“I remember when ‘Bruzzy’ (Brayden Maynard) got the free kick and I was hoping he would slow it up, I was a bit buggered at the time,” Hill said on Fox Footy.
“As soon as I saw the ball move that quick, I thought: ‘S**t, got to get moving here.’ Perfect kick from ‘Bruz’ to ‘Howie’ – and I actually thought I was Howie for 30 seconds jumping on heads.
“Got it and it worked out perfectly. (But) I didn’t see (the ball), the sun was right in my eyes.”
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Hill only crossed from GWS to the Magpies ahead of the 2023 season after he initially tried – and failed – to get traded to Essendon the previous year.
It came after the now 24-year old was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2022, which wiped out the second half of his season.
Hill explained he “needed a fresh start” away from the Giants after his personal health battle before detailing the key role Magpies coach Craig McRae played in luring him to the club.
“I picked Essendon and I remember having a chat with ‘Fly’ (McRae) – I think on the last day of the 2021 trade period. He said if it doesn’t get done, we’re still going to talk to you. I knew from then on that was the right club to be at and bring my family into it,” Hill said.
The livewire also revealed he’d already jumped on the Collingwood bandwagon during the 2022 finals series while still technically a Giants player at the time.
“Even that (2022) finals series, I was at another team barracking for them. I went to the Freo final and when one of the boys kicked a goal, I jumped up and my cousin was like: ‘Sit down mate, you’re not there yet’,” Hill said.
“Thank god it worked out perfectly. To play to my strengths and be happy again, it couldn’t be any better.”
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