Callum Mills will miss the under-18 national championships with a shin injury

SYDNEY has dismissed rumours it is trying to hide Callum Mills after it was revealed he will miss the under-18 national championships.

Callum Mills of NSW/ACT poses during the 2014 Under 18 portrait session at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne on July 01, 2014. (Photo: Justine Walker/AFL Media)

Swans Football manager Tom Harley has dismissed suggestions the club are trying to hide academy star Callum Mills following the news he will miss this month’s National under 18 championships with a shin injury.

Touted as the next Isaac Heeney, Mills hasn’t played at all this year after picking up the stress related injury during pre-season training.

Harley said opposition clubs will still have plenty of opportunity to see Mills in action when he recovers from the injury later in the year and they are not warehousing the teenager.

“I can guarantee we just don’t do it,” Harley told the Daily Telegraph.

“I can understand why people think that might happen but by virtue of the fact he’s part of the AIS program and those top 35 players their reports go to all the clubs. It’s a good system and a circuit breaker for those discussions when recruiters think the academy club’s are up to ducks and drakes with players, it just can’t happen.

Callum Mills with AIS coach Brenton Sanderson. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“It’s important that all the other clubs have the opportunity to assess Callum on his merit. If it’s not at the Nationals it will be when he plays for our reserves and in the TAC Cup games the Rams play.”

Tadhg Kennelly is the coach of the NSW/ACT Rams team and says there is nothing underhand in the decision to rule Mills out of the national championships.

“You can’t hide him away from other clubs. The Rams team have an independent doctor (Dr Neville Wolf) who is a NSW/ACT doctor and not the Swans doctor.

“Callum is at the Swans academy but he’s not a Swans player and the AFL have protocols in place for exactly this situation. He is a NSW/ACT player and they have the final call on injuries.

Kennelly also said Mills could not be hidden from other clubs anyway because of his stunning performance at last year’s national championships where he won Australian selection as an under-aged player.

“He had an unbelievable championship last year as a 17 year old,” Kennelly said.

“He’s one of the best inside midfielders I’ve seen and he’s a great leader.”

In the comparison between Mills and Heeney Kennelly says Mills stacks up very well.

“He’s a harder inside player than Isaac,” Kennelly said.

“But Isaac has more tricks than Callum does and that’s what he has to develop as a half back or a half forward. His leadership is outstanding and going into a club with strong leaders he’s a huge get for the Swans.

“The six months out of footy will go against Callum in the short term but he can have a similar impact to Isaac.”

Originally published as Callum Mills will miss the under-18 national championships with a shin injury