Speaking just hours before going under the knife, Hille said he was looking at being ready to go for the start of 2010 after injuring his knee in the opening minutes of the game against Collingwood last Saturday.
"Round one is my goal next year. (Surgeon) Julian Feller seems optimistic that that is a realistic goal," Hille said.
"We are looking at getting up and running later on this year and a small amount of training, then looking to come back bigger and better next pre-season into round one."
Hille seemed upbeat despite facing almost 12 months on the sidelines and said there was little point in feeling sorry for himself.
"What can I do? That is basically my outlook. It is not ideal and I'd rather be playing but the fact is that it is done. You've got to get in there and I'm hoping that my mental attitude helps me in the road to recovery," he said.
Hille said he was excited about the prospect of Paddy Ryder becoming Essendon's number one ruckman in his absence. Ryder won the Anzac Medal on Saturday for his efforts in taking over from his injured teammate.
"He's got an ambition to play in the ruck and that was evident on the weekend that he is more than skilled enough to play in that position," Hille said.
"He's a different type of ruckman to me but he's got his own strengths. He'll fare very well for the rest of the season.
"Paddy's going to get a good 20 games in the ruck for the rest of the year and really develop. Tom Bellchambers might get a couple of games if not this week. I don't know which way the coaches are looking. He is going to have good games and tough games. It will be all the better for him and the team."
Hille also spoke out in support of opponent Josh Fraser who has been criticised for his efforts against the Bombers.
He said he could barely recall the much talked about moment early in the match when Hille and Fraser contested a loose ball.
"I don't really remember too much about it. I was only out there for about a minute and a half. A lot of the focus for me has been on what happened afterwards. I don't remember much of what went on," he said.
"I found it surprising, he has touched me up a lot of times before. He is a fantastic player and it is interesting to see how he will respond this weekend. I'm sure he will come out bigger and better."
