Player Watch #14 Callum Mills (c)

[Kennedy Parker]

Callum Mills

Callum Mills

14

Callum Mills

Age

28

Ht

188cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.2

5star

K

10.8

4star

HB

7.4

5star

M

5.3

5star

T

2.6

4star

MG

287.0

4star

D

18.4

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

6.9

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

3.4

4star

MG

293.4

4star

D

17.0

5star

K

9.4

4star

HB

7.6

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.8

5star

MG

284.4

5star

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

33

Ht

183cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

M/F

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

35

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

28

Ht

188cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.2

5star

K

10.8

4star

HB

7.4

5star

M

5.3

5star

T

2.6

4star

MG

287.0

4star

D

18.4

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

6.9

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

3.4

4star

MG

293.4

4star

D

17.0

5star

K

9.4

4star

HB

7.6

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.8

5star

MG

284.4

5star

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

 

[HPKS]

100% skipper, possibly this year replacing JPK or even JPK plus Ramps. If not this, then next for sure.
Gulden my pick as a future skipper. People listen to him and he's not afraid to speak up. Total footballer. Not quite yet of course.
In between might be trickier as there's not that big a gap.

It’s what the academy has over most junior pathways, developing leadership for the AFL. It allows them to walk in with the confidence of knowing they’re better prepared than most junior pathways which in turn encourages them to speak their mind.

 

[caesar88]

100% skipper, possibly this year replacing JPK or even JPK plus Ramps. If not this, then next for sure.
Gulden my pick as a future skipper. People listen to him and he's not afraid to speak up. Total footballer. Not quite yet of course.
In between might be trickier as there's not that big a gap.

Leadership is such a weird thing as it can come in so many forms. Not a soul had Rampe pegged as a future leader and captain when he first came to the club. He was the mature-aged local larrikin just happy to be given his opportunity. Then he became the badass star defender who smoked darts at the pavillion and hung out with bachelorettes. And then he just naturally morphed into a great leader and captain.

Then on the flipside, you take someone like Gould, who captained his state side in U18s and came to the club with "leadership skills" as one of his stand-out attributes. Since then, he hasn't come close to making the senior side and has often looked the frustrated kid needing to be mentored and guided. The AFL has such a funny way of just completely flipping the script on young players and all that they're used to in their footy journeys up to that point.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Well playing the bloke as a mid helped, funny that. Was his best year by a mile was always a midfielder

 

[Nool Carpenna]

Well playing the bloke as a mid helped, funny that. Was his best year by a mile was always a midfielder

Was headed toward AA while he learnt the ropes down back as well.
So who of JPK, Parks, George, Titch and Hanners were you dumping to get into the middle earlier?

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Was headed toward AA while he learnt the ropes down back as well.
So who of JPK, Parks, George, Titch and Hanners were you dumping to get into the middle earlier?

Hewett. I said it before and I say it again, he's a great player he'd have played well anywhere, but he was always a midfielder.

 

[WillHayward]

Best player at the Swans and top 20 in the AFL.
Absolute gun midfielder.

 

[BruceFromBalnarring]

Funny reading over some of these posts. Mills in the midfield has looked great and I'd be expecting him to take it to another level this season.

Plenty of doubters on Mills, plenty claiming he wasn't worth the pick we took him. I didn't think he would be as effective in the middle as he was and have been proven wrong.

Biggest take away - we've gotta be more patient for some players. At 24 he'll have close to 8 more years left yet plenty had already been ready to write him off.

Yeah I was one who thought Mills probably didn't have the time to play midfield. Turns out the coaches were just being patient.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Yeah I was one who thought Mills probably didn't have the time to play midfield. Turns out the coaches were just being patient.

Obstinate.

 

[TheMase]

Hewett. I said it before and I say it again, he's a great player he'd have played well anywhere, but he was always a midfielder.

Mills down back was a better fit for the team at the time. Now this team he is a better fit for the midfield.

Was always going to make a fist of it as a midfielder but he settled in far better than I had expected. Good on him.

Always had him pegged as future captain.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Fair enough to have played him outside the mids for a couple of seasons while his game developed. However his long delayed entry to the mids' rotation arguably cost the team. Yes he was needed down back but often this was because our mids were being soundly beaten.

I think of it as a riff on Horse's patented move of sending Reid down back as a loose man late in the quarter... except of course in this case it was the whole game.

The introduction of McPointy and then Pyke to the coaching box helped renovate the game plan and how the midfield is managed. Who knows whether this also helped the belated Mills move.

In 2022 Callum will pretty much lead the midfield with a large rotation of others at CBAs and stoppages.

 

[Bonz]

And is now a captain of our great side!

Mills honoured to lead in 2022

As Callum Mills is named Co-captain for 2022, we speak to him as well as Luke Parker and Dane Rampe about the announcement

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[Kiama Chris]

And is now a captain of our great side!

Mills honoured to lead in 2022

As Callum Mills is named Co-captain for 2022, we speak to him as well as Luke Parker and Dane Rampe about the announcement

www.sydneyswans.com.au

What I thought and hoped would happen. Let JPK step back (still lead from the front) and "blood" an emerging leader.
Excellent news!

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Good sensible decision should mean JPK should be playing most games but having a few tests

 

[Keystone agony]

I think he can win the brownlow this year

 

[RW]

Fantastic decision, I posted this in the Luke Parker player watch thread back in September 2020, it happened a bit earlier than I thought, but I think it's time:

Will be captain until Mills is ready to take over

I'm a little surprised that they kept Rampe as a co-captain as he'll be 32 this year, I'm hoping last year was just a down year by his standards.

The others in the leadership group are Kennedy, Papley, Cunningham and Franklin.

 

[The King!]

great pick

id make him sole skipper and **** off the shared role

 

[Millky95]

I don't mind co-captains but 3 is a bit much. 2 max imo

 

[Bonz]

I think he can win the brownlow this year

A lot will depend on how Heeney goes in the midfield, can see him stealing votes.

 

[Keystone agony]

A lot will depend on how Heeney goes in the midfield, can see him stealing votes.

Only my view but i still think Heeneys too valuable out of the goal square or as a fwd

L.Parker will poll more votes imo if injury doesnt occur

Remember how many votes Boak polled. Heeney or Parker wont get that

It might be the case where Heeney takes the inital CBA and then pushes fwd like a Dusty/Stringer do with a JPK or Rowebottom coming up off a fwd flank to then play the onball position like a J.Graham or Caldwell do in the Rich/Ess case

 

[BruceFromBalnarring]

Only my view but i still think Heeneys too valuable out of the goal square or as a fwd

L.Parker will poll more votes imo if injury doesnt occur

Remember how many votes Boak polled. Heeney or Parker wont get that

It might be the case where Heeney takes the inital CBA and then pushes fwd like a Dusty/Stringer do with a JPK or Rowebottom coming up off a fwd flank to then play the onball position like a J.Graham or Caldwell do in the Rich/Ess case

Not only your view.

But then, I was wrong about Mills.

I just think Heeney really hurts opposition sides at half forward. Yes, he’s hurt them as a mid too but the difference between him and others as a mid won’t be as great as the difference up forward.

 

[WillHayward]

I think Callum is ready to be a top 10 in the comp kind of guy...

 

[Kiama Chris]

Fantastic decision, I posted this in the Luke Parker player watch thread back in September 2020, it happened a bit earlier than I thought, but I think it's time:



I'm a little surprised that they kept Rampe as a co-captain as he'll be 32 this year, I'm hoping last year was just a down year by his standards.

The others in the leadership group are Kennedy, Papley, Cunningham and Franklin.

I reckon Ramps will drop off at the end of this season. Helps provide some continuity this year. Maybe not absolutely necessary but certainly no harm in it.
Parky will run a couple, even 3, more years with just he and Millsy, then the next co-captain steps up.
Who starts the book on that?

 

[WillHayward]

Not only your view.

But then, I was wrong about Mills.

I just think Heeney really hurts opposition sides at half forward. Yes, he’s hurt them as a mid too but the difference between him and others as a mid won’t be as great as the difference up forward.

It is interesting.

In 2018 Isaac was averaging 3.5 clearances/game. That has gone down to < 1.
In the same period he has doubled his marks inside 50.

So clearly horse is using him way less in the midfield and more time fwd.

Doesn't mean this will continue but that's what been happening recently, and with our midfield now stacked with kids (Rowbottom, Warner, Stephens, Sheldrick, Mills, Florent), you would think it would be strange for horse to move Heeney into the mids now?

(n.b: In the juniors Sheldrick was basically a clearance machine in the same way that Serong was).

 

[Kirkswan]

Only my view but i still think Heeneys too valuable out of the goal square or as a fwd

L.Parker will poll more votes imo if injury doesnt occur

Remember how many votes Boak polled. Heeney or Parker wont get that

It might be the case where Heeney takes the inital CBA and then pushes fwd like a Dusty/Stringer do with a JPK or Rowebottom coming up off a fwd flank to then play the onball position like a J.Graham or Caldwell do in the Rich/Ess case

there are a lot on here with the same view, and tbh, we said the same thing about Mills down back.

I think they're be working the midfield together this year and won't that be a sight to see!

 

[Gimmeafree]

I’ve got this gut feeling that how deep we go in 2022 hinges on the fitness of Mills. Really hoping he can play unhindered in 2022, if he can, watch out. don’t think we should play him if he’s less than fit, better off getting him 100% right even if he misses a few weeks. recovery from these damn Achilles injuries are unpredictable at the best of times. Rather he’s back unhindered at the business end of the season than in and out of the team all year.