Sydney’s Callum Mills wins 2016 Rising Star award

SYDNEY Swans young gun Callum Mills polled 49 of a possible 50 votes to be crowned this year’s AFL Rising Star. SEE EVERY VOTE

Callum Mills has won this year’s Rising Star award. Picture: Getty

CALLUM Mills suspected what was coming.

Early in the year the Sydney draftee asked permission to skip the Round 16 trip to Geelong so he could attend eldest brother Wesley’s wedding in California.

“They didn’t have to think for long to say, ‘No’,” Mills told the Herald Sun.

“Football is a tough industry and you have to make sacrifices to play AFL and it’s one I was willing to make.”

Rising Star winner Callum Mills with girlfriend Tiffany Browne.

SWAN HOME: HANNEBERY NOW CALLS SYDNEY HOME

BIG REWARD: SWANS DOMINATE ALL-AUSTRALIAN TEAM

Mills stayed, played, kicked his first goal and starred under the Friday night lights — scooping the Rising Star nomination in a victory which ultimately delivered the Swans the minor premiership.

At first that nomination stopped locker buddy Kieren Jack “yapping in my ear” that Mills was yet to get one.

Callum Mills celebrates a goal for the Swans. Picture: Getty Images

On Tuesday it morphed into the overall Rising Star, Mills, 19, saluting after fellow Swans Dan Hannebery and Adam Goodes.

His family missed the Cats win — “they all forgot to wake up in the morning” — but were in the Crown Palladium audience as Mills made history by becoming the first Rising Star winner to score a nomination after Round 14.

The courageous halfback polled 49 out of a possible 50 votes, with Cameron Ling giving Western Bulldog Caleb Daniel top honours.

All ten judges rated Mills and Daniel the standout pair.

Daniel is the Dogs’ third Rising Star bridesmaid, following Ryan Griffen (2005) and Marcus Bontempelli (2014).

AFL Rising Star winner Callum Mills. Picture: Michael Klein

Griffen and Bontempelli went on to captain the club and win All-Australian selection, while Bontempelli is likely to join Griffen as a best-and-fairest winner next month.

But Tuesday was about celebrating Mills, who grew up on the north beaches of Sydney as a diehard Swans fan.

He had signatures of more players than he knew on the back of a woollen jumper and would walk home from the SCG after watching ‘Plugger’ Lockett play dreaming about one day running through the banner.

His grandfather, Ray Mills, played 100 WAFL games for Perth Demons and calls Mills after every game.

“He tells me what I did wrong and to kick long, even if in the 21st century we don’t always have to kick long,” Mills said.

Swans recruiter Kinnear Beatson said Mills’ triumph was a tick for the talent academies which have caused so much controversy over the years.

But Mills is the poster boy for what is right about them. After playing Auskick as a boy, Mills developed as a five-eighth on the rugby field.

When Swans’ academy coach Mark Drinkwater enticed him back to kick the Sherrin, Mills was groomed to grow the national talent pool at a fair price for the Swans.

ANALYSIS: SORRY ED, WIN PROVES ACADEMIES WORK

Sydney used the No. 3 pick, minus a 20 per cent discount, although chief recruiter Kinnear Beatson said the bidding system stills needs a bit of tinkering.

“(Mills) now will be a role model for players in NSW who aspire to play AFL,” Beatson told the Herald Sun.

“Our investment in him was high — financially and with resources — so it’s important we’re able to secure him with some reward (the draft discount).”

Beatson said matching Melbourne’s bid was “one of the easiest decisions I’ve been involved with because we knew Callum was a special player”.

The Swans help about 580 boys develop through their academy, growing the game in NSW.

“People don’t realise this in the southern states, they complain about it, but that starts from under-12,” Beatson said.

Cameron Ling gave Caleb Daniel maximum votes. The rest? All rated Callum Mills the best.

— Sam Landsberger (@SamLandsberger) September 6, 2016

Mills spent his entire junior career in the engine room and is destined to break into Sydney’s although admits “it’s a big queue” flush with All-Australians.

He has helped replace Rhyce Shaw in the backline and Beatson says he will become a Jarrad McVeigh-type utility.

As for that courage, which McVeigh and coach John Longmire keep endorsing?

Courage is something you just have to do in AFL,” Mills says.

“If you don’t have courage in AFL you can’t really play the game. It seems crazy watching, but when you’re on the field it’s all controlled.”

Class of 2016: 20 of the 23 2016 NAB AFL Rising Star nominees. Picture: Getty

EVERY VOTE

Gillon McLachlan

5 – Callum Mills

4 – Caleb Daniel

3 – Jacob Weitering

2 – Darcy Moore

1 – Christian Petracca

Kevin Bartlett

5 – Callum Mills

4 – Caleb Daniel

3 – Jacob Weitering

2 – Darcy Parish

1 – Clayton Oliver

Luke Darcy

5 – Callum Mills

4 – Caleb Daniel

3 – Jacob Weitering

2 – Darcy Parish

1 – Darcy Moore

Mark Evans

5 – Callum Mills

4 – Caleb Daniel

3 – Jacob Weitering

2 – Darcy Parish

1 – Darcy Moore

Danny Frawley

5 – Callum Mills

4 – Caleb Daniel

3 – Darcy Parish

2 – Darcy Moore

1 – Jade Gres ham

Glen Jakovich

5 – Callum Mills

4 – Caleb Daniel

3 – Darcy Parish

2 – Jacob Weitering

1 – Lachie Weller

Cameron Ling

5 – Caleb Daniel

4 – Callum Mills

3 – Jacob Weitering

2 – Darcy Parish

1 – Jade Gresham

Matthew Richardson

5 – Callum Mills

4 – Caleb Daniel

3 – Jacob Weitering

2 – Darcy Parish

1 – Darcy Moore

Warren Tredrea

5 – Callum Mills

4 – Caleb Daniel

3 – Jacob Weitering

2 – Darcy Moore

1 – Darcy Parish

Kevin Sheehan

5 – Callum Mills

4 – Caleb Daniel

3 – Jacob Weitering

2 – Darcy Parish

1 – Christian Petracca

WHO WERE THE NOMINEES?

Round 1: Clayton Oliver (Melb)

Round 2: Darcy Parish (Ess)

Round 3: Jacob Weitering (Carl)

Round 4: Caleb Daniel (WB)

Round 5: Tom Papley (Syd)

Round 6: Blake Acres (StK)

Round 7: James Harmes (Melb)

Round 8: Jacob Hopper (GWS)

Round 9: Christian Petracca (Melb)

Round 10: Darcy Byrne-Jones (PA)

Round 11: Connor Blakely (Fre)

Round 12: Lachie Weller (Fre)

Round 13: James Sicily (Haw)

Round 14: Jade Gresham (StK)

Round 15: Peter Wright (GC)

Round 16: Callum Mills (Syd)

Round 17: Orazio Fantasia (Ess)

Round 18: Ryan Clarke (NM)

Round 19: Darcy Moore (Coll)

Round 20: Josh Dunkley (WB)

Round 21: Oscar McDonald (Melb)

Round 22: Daniel Rioli (Rich)

Round 23: Tom Barrass (WC)