Player Watch #14 Callum Mills (c)

[Kennedy Parker]

Callum Mills

Callum Mills

14

Callum Mills

Age

27

Ht

188cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.2

5star

K

10.8

4star

HB

7.4

5star

M

5.3

5star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.6

3star

D

18.4

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

6.9

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

3.4

4star

CL

1.4

4star

D

17.0

5star

K

9.4

4star

HB

7.6

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.8

5star

CL

1.2

4star

is one of the best young players in the AFL. The QBE Sydney Swans Academy graduate won the 2016 AFL Rising Star award and was selected in the AFL Players’ Association’s 22Under22 team in three of his four eligible years. Mills is a small defender with uncompromising courage who’s also capable of shifting through the midfield. The New South Welshman was elevated to Sydney’s leadership group during the 2018 pre-season at the age of just 21, and he’s now a member of a five-man leadership panel alongside co-captains Josh Kennedy, Luke Parker

26

Luke Parker

Age

32

Ht

183cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

24.2

5star

K

12.6

5star

HB

11.6

5star

M

3.8

4star

T

5.6

5star

CL

5.8

5star

D

22.1

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

9.9

5star

M

3.9

4star

T

5.0

5star

CL

5.5

5star

D

21.2

5star

K

11.4

4star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

8.0

5star

CL

5.2

5star

and Dane Rampe

24

Dane Rampe

Age

34

Ht

187cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.0

4star

K

10.6

4star

HB

6.4

4star

M

4.9

5star

T

2.5

4star

MG

358.8

5star

D

14.1

3star

K

9.0

4star

HB

5.1

3star

M

3.4

3star

T

1.5

2star

MG

284.5

4star

D

10.6

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

2.4

3star

T

1.4

4star

, as well as Lance Franklin.

Callum Mills

14

Callum Mills

Age

27

Ht

188cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.2

5star

K

10.8

4star

HB

7.4

5star

M

5.3

5star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.6

3star

D

18.4

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

6.9

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

3.4

4star

CL

1.4

4star

D

17.0

5star

K

9.4

4star

HB

7.6

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.8

5star

CL

1.2

4star

DOB: 02 April 1997
DEBUT: 2016
DRAFT: #3, 2015 National Draft
RECRUITED FROM: North Shore (NSW)

Callum Mills | AFL

Follow Callum Mills's progress through AFL

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[Swannie0307]

Roberts if he is going to his back/mid role

It’ll be a tough call no matter which way you look at it … my initial view is he comes in for Lloyd on the wing , with some rotation thru the guts.

 

[Nuggetz]

Forget fitting him in, lets hope he doesn't have anymore setbacks. He'll come in underdone, likely needing a few VFL games before senior selection. If we get Mills to return at AFL level this season then it'll be a bonus imo.

 

[Adnico26Parker]

Promising news

Surely now worth creating a new thread “Where to fit captain Cal into the team?”
Looking forward to the thousands of permutations we will all come up with

I said the same thing in the Parker thread!

It’s going to be… interesting

 

[Swannie0307]

Forget fitting him in, lets hope he doesn't have anymore setbacks. He'll come in underdone, likely needing a few VFL games before senior selection. If we get Mills to return at AFL level this season then it'll be a bonus imo.

Cmon Nuggetz, we need some juicy topics to discuss / agree / disagree haha
But yes getting Cal fit and ready for the finals would be a huge bonus!

 

[The King!]

I just hope we still have the problem

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Longmire said his shoulder is fine would be good to go if it wasnt for his Calf.

 

[Adnico26Parker]

I wonder if they might try and give him some limited game time against the Bullants next Friday before our AFL/VFL byes the following weekend?

Then increase the minutes in the following 2 games post the bye.

 

[Swannie0307]

I wonder if they might try and give him some limited game time against the Bullants next Friday before our AFL/VFL byes the following weekend?

Then increase the minutes in the following 2 games post the bye.

Probably not worth the risk given he’ll have a further 2 weeks to recover more

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

Promising news

Surely now worth creating a new thread “Where to fit captain Cal into the team?”
Looking forward to the thousands of permutations we will all come up with

I’ve run some regression analysis, looked at the random number generator and consulted the magic 8 ball. All roads lead to Roberts (sadly for him).

 

[The Gong]

Roberts is developing really nicely but Mills is Mills, one of the best two way midfielders going around, and you have to make that change. Roberts will have his time.

 

[TheMase]

Probably not worth the risk given he’ll have a further 2 weeks to recover more

Maybe he can run the water. Have seen them do that a few times with returning players.

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

Is Millsy a chance against Geelong ?

 

[bedford]

Is Millsy a chance against Geelong ?

2nds

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

Always 4-5 weeks away. . It’s like how do you keep an idiot in suspense….. I’ll tell you tomorrow.

 

[anotherletdown]

Longmire said his shoulder is fine would be good to go if it wasnt for his Calf.

A lot of calf injuries for a youngish player who is not reliant on speed. Old man injury normally

 

[Adnico26Parker]

Always 4-5 weeks away. . It’s like how do you keep an idiot in suspense….. I’ll tell you tomorrow.

Hopefully closer to 3, but we'll see what next week's updates reveal

Maybe someone at Fan Day tomorrow might get some info

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Always 4-5 weeks away. . It’s like how do you keep an idiot in suspense….. I’ll tell you tomorrow.

Was always a long way back with a injury like that its a huge bonus if he get on the park this season.

 

[The King!]

Hopefully closer to 3, but we'll see what next week's updates reveal

Maybe someone at Fan Day tomorrow might get some info

Poke his arm , see if he flinches

 

[Slingshot Footy]

A lot of calf injuries for a youngish player who is not reliant on speed. Old man injury normally

I think it’s interconnected with his Achilles tendinitis. As someone that also suffers from issues relating to their posterior chain, I can tell you firsthand how frustrating it is to keep the entire system in check. Often the rehab you do to keep one muscle group fighting fit can over fatigue the other ones and thus setbacks like what Mills and Reid suffer from are sadly par for the course.

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

I think it’s interconnected with his Achilles tendinitis. As someone that also suffers from issues relating to their posterior chain, I can tell you firsthand how frustrating it is to keep the entire system in check. Often the rehab you do to keep one muscle group fighting fit can over fatigue the other ones and thus setbacks like what Mills and Reid suffer from are sadly par for the course.

Thighbone connected to the kneebone kinda stuff ?

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Thighbone connected to the kneebone kinda stuff ?

I’d say enjoy but it is more terrifying.

Lol … is that dumbledore?

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Always 4-5 weeks away. . It’s like how do you keep an idiot in suspense….. I’ll tell you tomorrow.

Fully expect Mills to be a luxury if fit at all this season

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

Fully expect Mills to be a luxury if fit at all this season

Think we need him - our flag chances rise dramatically with him in and fit. Not sure it’s fair to expect Roberts to handle a deep run into the finals.

 

[SM]

Always 4-5 weeks away. . It’s like how do you keep an idiot in suspense….. I’ll tell you tomorrow.

So how do you keep an idiot in suspense??

 

[caesar88]

Feels silly to say as he's obviously a great player, arguably our best when at his best, but he will be such an incredible asset if he can get fit and even semi-firing this year.

I'd like to see us use Mills as something of a swingman, if he gets back on the park this year. His best game last year was against Freo in Perth, where he played mostly on a wing, and literally just ran hard both ways, reading the play to be a marking presence at either ends all game. He had 3 rebound 50s and 3 inside 50s, 8 marks for the game with 4 being intercept marks but still taking 2 marks inside 50 (for 2 goals). That is the very definition of getting it done at both ends. We know he can strengthen and reinforce our backline, which I really think he'll do, but it's not like our defence needs him so much (hello, we have the lowest points against in the comp without him!!!) that he can't still push forward to be a threat inside 50, too. We've seen how damaging the likes of Heeney & Warner are when they've pushed forward this year, but Mills is closer to a third tall size than either of them, so he can be a damaging marking target.

I feel like that swingman player is probably the only thing that we've perhaps missed at times in an otherwise-incredibly-balanced team. Our talls get by on their competitiveness, and our defenders always help each other out within their system. But sometimes you just need that one guy who is just too good in the air, just to clunk marks and to structure plays around and give us chances to control the tempo of games.

That's why I think he's the big inclusion, if we can make it happen. It's different to say, McCartin or Parker. They're basically upgrades (arguably so, in Parker's case) on existing players in roles within the team. Mills is sort of a different beast altogether, a kind of weapon that can be unlike anything else we have in the team. Just yet another migraine for the opposition coaches to have to work around, and potentially the one that takes us from "gee they're the best team" to "pack it in, they can't be beaten."