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A devastating break-up is believed to be behind the unspecified 'personal issues' plaguing a young Collingwood star who has been off the field for almost a month.
The Magpies have been without Bobby Hill since their June 21 match against St Kilda.
Club management and coach Craig McRae have made clear it's a private matter they won't be commenting on. Meanwhile, the AFL-friendly Melbourne media has only reported vaguely on a recent 'change in his personal life' without going into details.
And while it is understood that Hill was struck by an illness that swept through the Magpies camp last week, that does not explain his longer absence from the game.
However, Daily Mail Australia has uncovered a trail of evidence that strongly suggests the Norm Smith Medal winner has split from his long-time partner Georgia Devlin, the mother of his children Bobby Junior and Malakai.
In spite of the 2023 premiership-winning team's wall of silence, the social media accounts belonging to Hill and Devlin speak volumes.
Collingwood Magpies star Bobby Hill (pictured after the 2023 grand final with partner Georgia Devlin and their son Bobby) has been off the field due to personal issues for the last few weeks
Hill's usually vibrant Instagram feed has gone eerily quiet in recent weeks, with the forward having removed nearly all photos of his partner and their two young sons.
It is a move many fans are interpreting as confirmation of a split - further fuelled by the fact the young couple have unfollowed each other on the social media platform.
The tags they once used to identify each other in photos have all disappeared.
There are suggestions that Devlin has remained in Western Australia, where she and Hill hail from, while he is in Melbourne training with Collingwood.
'She hasn't gone back - I saw her with one of her kids at our local park on the weekend,' a Perth local recently posted on social media.
While the potential breakdown of Hill's relationship would be heartbreaking enough, the distance from his children would be a hammer blow.
Hill has long been a doting father to his boys - who are regulars at training and in the sheds after games - and has spoken in the past about how much they mean to him.
'When the kids come to sing the song after a game it feels like a country footy game - the club say I can have the kids in with me whenever I can so it's good, it feels like a big family,' Hill said in May.
There is speculation that the personal issues that have sidelined Hill concern his relationship with Devlin (pictured together with sons Bobby Junior and Malakai)
Hill and Devlin have been together through the ups and downs of his AFL journey, but have now unfollowed each other on social media
'Bob runs around with me, I'm in training a lot… but he knows where everything is, he knows where the snacks are, so I could just leave him knowing that one of the boys will walk past and help him out.'
Georgia has deleted all images from her Instagram dating back to four months ago.
Those images include iconic Perth café Daisies Cottesloe, images of their children, selfies and several photos with Hill and their kids.
Hill has also been largely inactive on Instagram during his time away. However, he did post images on Monday with his children and Collingwood teammates.
He included a telltale sign that he is set to return to the field soon, posting an hourglass emoji.
The post has been liked by a host of AFL stars including Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Kysaiah Pickett, Mabior Chol and his brother Bradley Hill, along with former AFL star Eddie Betts and NRL player Jamal Fogarty.
Hill was the Norm Smith Medal winner in Collingwood's grand final win over the Lions in 2023
Hill has battled to get on the park this season, last playing against St Kilda in Round 15 in June
Before that, his last post was an interview with renowned Melbourne barber Jordan Tabakman that was conducted before Hill's leave of absence.
The last images that remain on his Instagram page with Georgia are from late 2024, but there are no comments or reactions from his partner.
Club sources say Hill's training has been on and off, and while he's keen to return, the coaches may still hold off on selecting him for the Fremantle match to ensure he's fully ready.
Drafted by GWS in 2018, Hill debuted aged just 18 and made his mark as a lightning‑quick forward with strong marking and a sharp goal sense.
Devlin was beside Hill when he battled testicular cancer while he was playing for GWS
Hill (pictured with his first child Bobby soon after he was born) is a doting father to his two boys
His switch to Collingwood in 2023 paid off instantly - he kicked four goals in the grand final to win the Norm Smith Medal, topped the club's goal tally in 2024, and secured a long‑term, four-year deal as a key part of their future.
Throughout his rise, Hill's partner Georgia has featured prominently beside him.
That was most evident during his battle with testicular cancer, diagnosed when he was just 22.
He underwent surgery and bravely decided to play on for GWS at the time, stating that Devlin was his rock through the entire ordeal.
While he received support from AFL veterans Sam Docherty and Ben Cunnington, who overcame their own battles with testicular cancer, it was Devlin he thanked for being by his side the whole time.
'I always asked "why me?" in that situation. I wouldn't put that upon anyone,' he said.
'But going back to my family and here at the club, it's made me a stronger man.'
Hill's absence from Collingwood has been noticeable, especially as the club fell to a shock loss on the Gold Coast with a host of troops including Beau McCreery and Brody Mihocek also sidelined.
The young couple are originally from Western Australia, and Devlin has reportedly been sighted back on the west coast
Hill has returned to training with Collingwood, but a timeframe for his comeback to the field remains unclear
In the meantime, the rumour mill has been running at full pelt, with Reddit threads speculating wildly about the nature of Hill's leave.
'Any updates here? Apparently he may not play for us again,' a fan asked on Reddit.
'What do you mean he may not play for us again? That's a wild thing to say with no source,' another fan replied.
Daily Mail Australia has elected not to publish the wild and unfounded reasons some fans have come up with for Hill's absence - but many have been speculating that family could be at the heart of it.
'I think it's about the boys, he's posted them a few times on his insta story with love hearts and 'my babies/my boys,' one fan posted.
'It's personal reasons so he might just need some time for a family issue,' another suggested.
SEN reporter Tom Morris provided some clarity this week, saying that Hill was nearing a return even if it was not against Fremantle this week.
'He was back training over the weekend. He'd like to get back and play as soon as possible and the club is giving him every chance to make sure he can be fit and ready to go,' Morris said.
'There was some confidence he'd play on the weekend, but early last week they ruled him out. There's that same level of confidence now coming up.
'The problem with personal reasons is there are so many rumours that fly around, many of which are untrue.
'But there is a warm confidence that he'll be fit and ready to play mentally and emotionally in the next week or two, which is good news.'
While Hill is unlikely to return against Fremantle, Collingwood will be buoyed by the likely returns of McCreery, Mihocek and midfielder Patrick Lipinski. Billy Frampton is also an outside chance of returning.
Veteran defender Jeremy Howe will miss the Freo clash with a groin injury.
The Magpies currently sit on top of the AFL ladder, but cannot afford another shock loss against the Dockers in the race to claim a vital top-two spot ahead of the AFL finals.
