Collingwood forward Bobby Hill is still holding out hope to return to the senior side before the 2025 season concludes.
Hill has played 31 per cent of one game since Round 16, and has been missing from the club due to personal reasons.
The 2023 Norm Smith Medallist looked poised to make his return following the Brisbane clash, when he started as the substitute, but has since taken time away again.
Pies coach Craig McRae revealed he dined with Hill this week, where they spoke about the prospects of him playing this season.
"I had dinner with Bobby last night," McRae told reporters on Wednesday.
"As I continue to say, it's a week-by-week, day-by-day thing with Bobby. It's just nice to catch up with him on a social level, just to check in and care for him.
"There are two things that I have always lived by: high performance and love and care. I've just sort of left the high performance for now and am just making sure the young lad's okay.
"Time is running out on the season, and maybe the high performance might be a bit far at the moment, but we'll just take that off the table for now and hopefully he can get back in the club, be happy and then we'll see where we go from there."
McRae revealed that Hill requested that he give him a chance to make an impact in 2025 as the Pies are set to feature in September once again.
"I said to him, 'How do you want me to answer that?'. He goes, ‘Oh please, just leave a little bit of hope there for me, ' but he's well aware that time's running out and getting enough load and then to be available," McRae said.
"Then I stepped straight back into love and care and said, ‘Mate, let's just get you right day-by-day'."
However, Collingwood will be buoyed by the return of Jeremy Howe this Friday when the club faces Melbourne at the MCG.
Ruckman Mason Cox was also flagged by McRae as a selection consideration, given the lowly form of the forward trio Brody Mihocek, Tim Membrey and Daniel McStay in recent weeks.
McStay has kicked 18 goals from 17 outings this year, but has spent time in defence when needed.
McRae also said he doesn't want to "demonise" Adelaide forward Izak Rankine for his homophobic slur in last week's clash.
"I think as an industry we've been slow to the party, but we just don't want to accept these behaviours in our workplace. I think no one wants that in their workplace, and the AFL industry is no different," McRae added.
"But also, I don't want to demonise Izak either. Everyone's allowed to make mistakes. The young lad seems like a really respectful young man, and he's made an error."
