Player Watch #14 Callum Mills (c)

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Callum Mills

Callum Mills 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 and Dane Rampe, as well as Lance Franklin.

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

 
Bit of a bump, but the right thread for the discussion.

One of the few positives from last night was the Mills move to the midfield and the impact he had there.

Do we think now is the time to potentially try him in the midfield? Don't get me wrong, he is certainly above average in defence and he would have to learn our midfield structures but with the season being what it is, I can't think of a better time to experiment.

We can only hope. Let’s use this season for what it is. It’s worth a go seeing whether Mills makes it as a mid.
 
I’ve been one of his great detractors but I thought he did a good job and should start in the middle next week.

Hayward down back to fill Mills void.

Agree on both. Wouldn’t be against Gould playing though
 
Still don't think he's fit for the midfield, but what could be the harm in trying? Is he composed, not really. Is he skilful, not really. Is he strong, tough, hungry for the pill and rabid in the contest? Yes. Then that'll do. He'd give us the same as what Parker is giving us, except without all the falling down. He's also a bigger body and slightly quicker than Parker.

So I wouldn't mind seeing what a quartet of Kennedy, Florent, Mills and Rowbottom could do.
 

wills2g

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If we really need a tagger jn the team then Mills is best suited.

Really the only way ppl try and break tags is to go fwd but Mills is a decent defender so they wouldnt be able to shrug the tag as easily
 
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No for me

Same.

I thought he was OK, certainly didn’t do anything the wow’d me but wasn’t out of his depth either. Not that there is anything wrong with that, he got involved as much as a player of his calibre should. I think he’d do an adequate job as a midfielder but as I have said before I think others can too and we lose more by taking him out of defence than what we gain by him playing as a mid.

Expecting melts when he lines up in defence next week ha ha
 

Donza

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Re-watching the "mills in the mid" experiment.
I'm of two minds.
There's alot of sameness about the lineup with him in there.
Mind you. Bont was having a whale....
He didn't look out of place...but he added nothing exciting.
Going forward though...with JPK getting older. I could entertain the idea of him being hungry after the pill
 
Re-watching the "mills in the mid" experiment.
I'm of two minds.
There's alot of sameness about the lineup with him in there.
Mind you. Bont was having a whale....
He didn't look out of place...but he added nothing exciting.
Going forward though...with JPK getting older. I could entertain the idea of him being hungry after the pill

He looked a bigger, slightly-quicker Parker.

I'm not convinced he'd be a good midfielder, but then I don't think Parker is either.

Would rather see Mills in the midfield and Parker playing as a medium forward, but it's not ideal either way
 

Parky79

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Get him in the middle. He will only get better, quick hands, good decision maker. Was elite junior. We struggle in that area, short season - nothing to lose. It’s about setting up for future not winning a premiership
 

Kapers

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I've been lurking a lot regarding Mills.

The simple fact of the matter is that no one really know where he will best.

BUT, I trusted him the middle, I trusted the ball I his hands (not that he didn't make mistakes), and I really enjoyed watching him in the engine.

I don't know what's right, but I know what I want, and that is just to see him play there for a few weeks, see if there's a spark.
 

Donza

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IMO mills would be an exceptional mid ten years ago.
Alas the modern mid is different.
 

Donza

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Mills work down back is largely underrated. His intercept work is amongst the best in the game.

However I’m very interested to see what he can provide in the middle. Hayward is capable of replacing mills down back
Hayward reads the ball well.
However a back he is not.
 
Watching the replay and the player who stands out most as being even better than I thought (I had him 5th best initially) was Mills. Defensively tight as a drum.

His best game of the year easily
 

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Mills is OK in the middle but we need him more in defence atm
 
I think its come to the point we will never know how good he could of been as a pure midfielder.
Sums up where the list is when possibly one of our best mids has to be a defender cause we need defenders
 
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