The Sydney Swans VFL side has been boosted by the inclusion of AFL Captain Callum Mills for their curtain raiser clash with Carlton on Friday night.

Mills will feature in his first game of 2025, as he makes his return from a plantar fasciitis injury.

Speaking to Sydney Swans Media, AFL Senior Coach Dean Cox said it was the best thing for Mills to return via the VFL this week.

"It's been a long time coming for Callum, he's put a lot of work in to get to this point, so the decision to play in VFL was a tough one, but we want to make sure that we get Callum back right," Cox said.

"It's not about one week, it's about the duration of the season and the best way to do this was to get him in restricted minutes in the VFL, so looking forward to seeing him play before our game."

Forwards Hayden McLean and Ben Paton return to the VFL side after featuring at AFL-level last weekend, while VFL-listed players Jordan Endemann, Lachie Hunter and Byron Laws have also been included in the team.

Taylor Adams has been named for a second week in a row, after he successfully returned from a hamstring injury last week, the midfielder finishing with 14 touches, three tackles and three clearances on limited minutes. 

Tall Peter Ladhams comes out of the side after being elevated to the AFL team, while Caleb Mitchell and Nick Shipley will miss the game through injury.

Sydney will be looking to bounce back, following a 65-point loss to Essendon at Windy Hill last weekend.

Swans fans are encouraged to arrive at the SCG early to watch the side in action, with the first bounce at 3.35pm.

VFL Round 8
Sydney Swans v Carlton - SCG
3.35pm

Live streaming and broadcast

All matches in the 2025 Smithy’s VFL and rebel VFLW seasons will again be live streamed free via the AFL website, AFL Live Official App and VFL/W App. In a first, all VFL and VFLW matches will feature commentary this season. The Seven Network will continue to broadcast one Smithy’s VFL game live and free on Channel 7 in Victoria and on 7Plus nationally most weeks of the season.

Ticketing

Where Smithy’s VFL matches are ticketed, entry is $10 for adults, $5 for concession holders and kids under 15 are free. Some venues don't charge for entry including Tramway Oval. AFL ticketing prices apply for VFL matches played as curtain-raisers and curtain-closers to AFL matches.

Live scoring and stats

Live scoring and stats for all Smithy’s VFL and rebel VFLW matches will be available via the match centre on the AFL website, AFL Live Official App and VFL/W app.