AFL 2022: Sydney Swans co-captain Callum Mills keen to face reigning premier Melbourne after finals taste last year
The Swans bowed out in the first week of finals last year but a lot has changed for them and new co-captain Callum Mills in the past 12 months.
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There are some big differences for Callum Mills from this time last year.
Mills is one of three Sydney co-captains these days after retirement-bound teammate Josh Kennedy selflessly stepped aside and nominated him as the one who should replace him.
He also had the “honour” last Wednesday night of making the All-Australian team for the first time, made better by Isaac Heeney’s presence.
But Mills and his fellow Swans are relishing something else ahead of Friday night’s clash with reigning premier Melbourne at the MCG.
“We’re in our own beds, which is a bit different from last year. We’re not in a hub,” Mills said.
“The situation is completely different and I think there’s just an excitement about it.
“We obviously missed out on two years (of finals) and we were pretty bummed about that, but to have the experience of last year and the boys got a taste for it, I think everyone’s really hungry going in this week.
“It’s going to be a contested, hard style of footy and I think with everyone getting that taste last year, it’s really exciting for this year.”
Sydney, which lost an elimination final to the Giants last year, is set to regain star forward Tom Papley, who is due to exit the AFL’s concussion protocols on game day thanks to the pre-finals bye giving them more time.
“It helps with ‘Paps’ coming back, so I think that was a huge bonus,” Mills said.
“If you ask ‘Paps’, he’s the biggest fan in the world of (the pre-finals bye), but we’re lucky in that instance.
“I think he’s done everything that he needed to tick off, I’m pretty sure, so he’s looking all right.”
The Swans enter this year’s finals riding a seven-match winning streak since a disappointing defeat to Essendon and will last at least a fortnight this September after earning a double chance.
The Demons snatched home ground advantage off Sydney with a thumping victory over Brisbane in round 23 but the Swans will hold no fears about the MCG after toppling Melbourne there in round 12.
Max Gawn dominated for the Demons that night with 28 disposals, nine marks and three goals, largely against Peter Ladhams in Tom Hickey’s absence.
This time Hickey will have the big task, with Ladhams able to accept a three-game ban for a rough conduct incident in the VFL on Melbourne’s Taj Woewodin.
A four match ban for Peter Ladhams for this VFL hit. He can accept a three week ban with a guilty plea under VFL rules or fight it. A huge setback for Sydney’s ruck depth pic.twitter.com/Zqdze5X0A4
— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) August 29, 2022
“It was a fair while ago now. Melbourne has been playing really good footy the last sort of month,” Mills said.
“We like playing at the MCG, so we’re keen to get down there and have a crack against Melbourne. They’re a seriously quality side and they’ve had good experience in September, so we’re really looking forward to it.
“We’ll be looking at trying to stop Max, obviously, but we haven’t had our main meeting yet, so we’ll have that on Wednesday and get stuck into them then.”
Mills spent part of his weekend off watching Sydney’s AFLW team play its first match, which resulted in a 29-point defeat to St Kilda.
“A few of the boys are talking now that it’s actually good to have a team to support again,” he said.
“Once you get drafted, you almost don’t have a team, because you’re playing in it. Now to have the girls, it’s pretty awesome.”
Originally published as AFL 2022: Sydney Swans co-captain Callum Mills keen to face reigning premier Melbourne after finals taste last year
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