Bobby Hill remembers the dread.
After spending Christmas and New Year’s with family in Perth – including his partner Georgia giving birth to their first child, Bobby jnr, in December – Hill was due back at the Giants.
The 22-year-old forward two months earlier made a shock trade request to Essendon mid-exchange period that GWS list boss Jason McCartney ultimately never considered.
The message was simple: Hill was contracted until 2022 and a required player, especially with co-captain Toby Greene suspended for the first five rounds.
Now, he was preparing to walk through the club doors for the first time since.
“I was s—-ing myself,” Hill said, laughing as he recalled the moment.
He was nervous enough about his reception to flick a few text messages around beforehand to teammates from his 2018 draft class, including Connor Idun.
Idun assured him the worst he would cop was a joke or two. As it turns out, it was an anticlimax.
“To be honest, I couldn’t think of a time we’ve talked about the trade,” Hill said.
“They understand I was doing the best thing at the time for myself and my family.
“Sometimes when I walk in I am like, ‘Far out’ and I sort of think about what happened, but they’re all good about it.”
Why did Hill want to leave the Giants?
Hill spent deadline day at a friend’s tattoo studio, getting extensive ink added to both his arms.
But the giveaway about how fast his trade request developed was he had no idea of the day’s significance when he booked the appointment during the finals series.
In fact, Hill admits he never thought at that stage he was going to be part of the annual footy swap fest.
But as Bobby jnr’s arrival edged closer, Hill’s concern increased about not having any family in Sydney to help him.
He, of course, left the Giants’ quarantine hub in July to return to Sydney to be by a pregnant Georgia’s side, prioritising his family over playing football.
That was still Hill’s thinking when he lodged the trade request.
He has two cousins in Melbourne, St Kilda footballer Bradley Hill and Essendon VFLW player Courtney Ugle.
It didn’t help that two members of Hill’s draft class, Jye Caldwell and Jackson Hately, as well as three of his closest teammates, Zac Williams, Zac Langdon and Jeremy Finlayson, moved to interstate clubs.
“My first interest was my family and being at a young age to be a father, family is my biggest support,” Hill said.
“I was looking at different options and there was a lot going on at that time. It was hard. I wouldn’t have minded going back to Perth if it did happen, if that was an option – but it wasn’t.”
Collingwood and Essendon were his most ardent suitors and the only two his agent, Andrew McDougall, of Corporate Sports, informed him about.
The Magpies offered Hill a four-year deal, which was effectively used as leverage to convince the Bombers to up the ante from three seasons to four.
What happened in the aftermath?
Hill was so disappointed the trade didn’t eventuate that he knocked back McDougall’s invitation to debrief and instead headed straight home after his tattoos were done.
The Giants, like all AFL clubs, let West Australian players complete pre-season training in their home state up to and through Christmas because of Covid-19-related border restrictions.
That included Hill and defensive stopper Matt de Boer, who trained with WAFL club Claremont. But Hill had a surprise training partner for a month before that in Fremantle star Michael Walters.
It started with Walters texting him about going for a run and they began training almost daily, including a significant boxing regimen.
“He’s been through a long road with his footy journey and it was a good experience. I got really close with him over the off-season,” Hill said.
“Being two Indigenous men, we show a lot of respect for each other. He’s someone I really looked up to, and still do.”
There was plenty of time for Hill to think and do some growing up, too. Life changed forever when Bobby jnr was born.
“It’s an unreal feeling to have someone you’ve created in the world and you get some funny moments out of them,” he said.
“I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m only young but I’m loving it.”
What happens next?
Not well known outside of Greater Western Sydney is how close Hill is with 30-year-old teammate Daniel Lloyd, who Hill says is like a big brother to him.
Kieren Briggs and Will Shaw are his other close mates at the club.
“Daniel Lloyd went through that process of having a family at a young age,” Hill said. “He was one of the first people I told when my partner and I found out we were having a child.”
The Giants also hired ex-Bulldog Malcolm Lynch as their Indigenous liaison officer not long before the trade period and he’s working closely with Hill.
Assistant coach Steve Johnson and his family have also been a good support.
“It’s difficult being away from your family with a newborn. It matures you a lot easier and you’re not relying on family to look after him,” Hill said.
“But we’ve actually got babysitters here. ‘Stevie J’ lives up the road, so we go there every now and then for dinner and they look after us and the little one.
“Hxjmtzywe’s got three kids and a lot of experience on and off the field … I’ve got him and Daniel Lloyd to go to for help with parenting.”
Hill appreciates the Giants’ effort to help him at a time he is way out of his comfort zone.
But whether that means he will stick around for the long term or request a trade again at season’s end – this time without a contract in place – is the million-dollar question.
“At this stage, I’m just happy with how everything is and how they welcomed me back. I want to repay them by playing some good footy,” Hill said.
“We’ve got a great culture here and play finals footy every year. I want to win a grand final here.
“I’m feeling really good about my body and I’m just looking forward to round 1 and cementing my spot.”
