Sydney Swans defender Dane Rampe will lead the team for the remainder of the 2026 season, having today been named as the stand-in captain for Callum Mills.

Rampe, who previously held the position of Sydney Swans co-captain from 2019-2023, was an extremely popular choice when the playing group was told this morning.

The 36-year-old has played 288 games in the red and white having debuted way back in 2013.

Rampe takes over as stand-in captain after it was confirmed last week that Mills had suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury.

See all the key quotes as Dane Rampe spoke to the media this morning ahead of the side’s upcoming Preliminary Final at the SCG.

What does the honour of captaining the Club in a Preliminary Final mean to Rampe?

It’s an absolute privilege and was for the entire time that I did it a couple of years ago and running out, leading the boys is going to be an absolute pleasure.

It's a thrill, it's a privilege. It's a little bit bittersweet, to be honest, but this is the circumstance we've been dealt and we've just got to keep on keeping on.

Dealing with the Callum Mills news

Obviously, there was probably a collective sigh around the ground when Callum went down and that was heartbreaking for him and for us. We've had plenty of conversations, he hasn't said necessarily one thing, but me and Milsy are really tight and he's been super supportive, as I like to think we have of him. He's excited for the opportunity we have.

You saw him on the bench, during the game, he's a quality human, he was up there supporting and putting on a brave face, but we all know he's hurting.

How does it feel to have the stand-in captaincy this Finals series?

I guess the overwhelming emotion is probably just gratitude to be back here, as you can expect. Probably a month ago, we weren't sure what was going to happen with the team and with the club and with the players.

I guess to be here and challenging in a Preliminary Final is just something, particularly being at the back end of my career, I'm really grateful for. I think that's the overriding emotion.

What are you expecting from Fremantle?

I watched the Cats game and it looked like it was a good quality game, wasn't it? Plenty of pressure.

They were, as you'd expect, they've been the best team all year by far, in my opinion, and we're going to have our work cut out for us. But we're excited for the challenge.

We're at home on the SCG, we've earned that right and that's something that we're going to, I guess, really look to explore.

Does losing Mills change how you prepare?

We will be sticking to our system.

As I'm sure you've heard a number of our players talk throughout the media throughout the last few weeks, is we're really confident of our roles and our system. No matter who comes in, we've got five or six out of our regular 22, we're really confident that they can come in and play a role and that's what we saw against Brisbane.

It’s a different challenge against Fremantle, but it's one that we're confident we can compete in.

How has your emotions been the last few weeks?

You probably have all these thoughts and feelings, but I think that's just referring back to what I said originally about the gratitude I have to be in this position. I think that's the overriding emotion.

The boys are grateful to be out here. We've got the last game for the season at SCG this week and that's something that we've got to hold really close to our heart because it's a special place and we all love playing here and I think that's what we're focused on at the moment.

How impressed have you been with some of the younger players in your team?

They've come in and played their role to almost perfection. The energy that they've brought, their compliance has been second to none.

They're just riding the wave and I think as senior players sometimes you've got to realise when to get out of the way of them and just let them do their thing. We've been really enjoying that as senior players and we're going to look to ride their energy and their momentum heading into Friday night.

The impact of captaincy on his playing future

To be honest, I haven't had a chance to think about that. I don't think it does much. As I said, closer to the end than I am to the start.

That's the way I'm putting it. I'm just grateful for, I guess, for every opportunity I get, whether that's to lead the boys out one last time, two more times, but we will wait and see.

I'm just happy to be where I am at the moment and to have that little bit of hope and belief which I feel is a real luxury.

Team Selection ahead of the Preliminary Final

That’s been a real strength of ours throughout the season is we've had Nick Malceski come in as a VFL coach. And he's having them playing unbelievably well and that's put pressure on the guys in the team.

And it means that the players that do come in, like you've seen over the last few weeks, they come in and they perform their role to the standard and they do it really well.

So there's going to be pressure for selection but that's a sign of a good club and a good team and we welcome that.