Sydney Swans captain Callum Mills sidelined with fresh hamstring injury
On Monday, Swans captain Callum Mills spoke about the fact this was his first injury-free off-season in years. Days later, he was ruled out for the rest of 2025.
Luckless Swans captain Callum Mills has sustained another injury blow, suffering a minor hamstring strain during Sydney’s first full week back at training.
Mills, 28, was involved in a contested drill during Wednesday’s session when he felt some pain around his hamstring after being tackled. Given his injury history, there was immediate concern about the severity of the incident as he came from the field.
After undergoing scans on Thursday afternoon, long-term fears were allayed with a best-case scenario for both Mills and the Swans.
The skipper is set to miss around four weeks of work, with the club hopeful he will return to training at the start of 2026.
It’s still a disappointing blow for Mills, who spoke on Monday about the fact that this off-season was the first time in several years that he had not been interrupted by injuries.
A plantar fascia tear set back his start to the 2025 season by nearly four months, while the combination of a severe rotator cuff injury and a hamstring strain saw him play only seven games in 2024, where he also missed out on playing in the grand final.
“It was nice to finish off the season uninterrupted, and then had a good break and got a nice little block under the belt,” Mills said. “I’m feeling really fit and yeah, happy.”
The Swans have also invested heavily in Mills’ attempts to get his body right. On numerous occasions, he has been to Aspetar, a world-leading sports medicine hospital in Qatar, to help with his rehabilitation processes.
Sydney is confident this latest setback shouldn’t disrupt their plans for Mills in 2026. After injuries defined their 2025 campaign, Mills’ hamstring concern is also one of the only issues on their list as they prepare to head into the Christmas break with a relatively clean bill of health.
Despite suggestions from some commentators over the past 12 months, the club is also continuing to back Mills as their captain. While teammates such as Isaac Heeney and Tom Papley are ready to fill in when required, and Errol Gulden is seen as a potential skipper down the track, Mills’ value as a natural leader means Sydney still believes he is the best man for the job.
Originally published as Sydney Swans captain Callum Mills sidelined with fresh hamstring injury
Suns ignite trade period as Crow defects, Tigers win No.1 pick race
