Sydney Swans midfielder Callum Mills will play his 100th AFL game this Saturday night, when he faces Melbourne at the MCG in Round 8 of the AFL Premiership season.
Aged 24 years and 36 days on Saturday, Mills will be become the Swans 137th 100-gamer this weekend, becoming the seventh-youngest among 60 Swans centurions since the move to Sydney in 1983.
When asked to reflect on the milestone and recall his highlights from his career thus far, the always courageous Mills was quick to downplay the achievement and focus more on a recent highlight than looking back on his career to date.
“Last week was alright!” Mills laughed.
“Against Geelong, the SCG was rocking and that’s one that comes to mind probably the most recent.
“I love playing for this club and I have loved the journey so far.” He added.
Approaching his 100th game milestone, Mills paid plenty of credit to the QBE Sydney Swans Academy, something he has publicly stated numerous throughout his career.
Mills played rugby union for six years before switching back to Australian Rules football at the age of 13, when he joined the Mosman Swans after being recruited by Sydney Swans chairman Andrew Pridham.
After years with the Academy, Mills was selected by the Swans with their first selection and third overall in the 2015 National Draft. Mills would go on to make his debut against Collingwood in Round One of the 2016 season.
“I have said before I am not sure what sport I would be playing without the QBE Swans Academy to be honest,” Mills said,
“What they have done, in terms of luring kids in Sydney that play other sports to come into AFL has been the biggest thing they have been able to do and I’m so proud of the program.”
The program has seen the talents of Isaac Heeney, Errol Gulden, Nick Blakey, Sam Wicks, Braeden Campbell, Sam Naismith and James Bell all graduate from the program and form a key part of the Swans side.
Mills attributed the strong connection between these players to the Academy, something which will only continue to grow over the years.
“The exciting thing is that the list that we have, and the demographic of it, is we will be able to go through a couple more years with the same group and hopefully build that connection with a lot of guys that are playing at the moment and hopefully go forward and create a successful environment.”
Mills, who was recruited to the club as one of the country's most highly-rated junior midfield prospects has spent the overwhelming majority of his first career in the senior system across half-back.
However in 2021, Mills has transitioned to the midfield, a move which he says has all been part of a learning and evolutionary process since his debut.
“I think my move to the midfield has been based on the evolution of the team," Mills said.
"I always one day, had the plan to play a bit more of midfield, but the way the team stacks up, and looking at what the team make up is, for me it just means playing my role this year which is playing midfield.
“It’s a bit of a learning process. You learn so much as a defender, you learn what you don’t like and you learn what the mids are doing when its coming out the front.
“It’s a learning experience, picking up different aspects of the game that can really help you when you become a midfielder, to be a two-way defensive and attacking type of player.”
The Sydney Swans face the Melbourne Demons at the SCG on Saturday May 8 from 7:25pm. Follow the action live via our Match Centre.
