Callum Mills is set to return to the AFL for the first time this season.
Senior coach John Longmire has named his side to take on North Melbourne. As announced earlier this week Callum Mills will make his return to the AFL for the first time this season after sustaining a shoulder injury and subsequent calf strain.
Speaking to the media Longmire said the captain had worked extremely hard to be ready for play.
“We sat down at the bye and worked our a six-week plan to get him up to what he needed to in a football and training sense, and he has been doing that,” the senior coach said.
“He has done a power of work. We’ve looked through all the numbers and have seen training sessions – all that has done has backed up our eyes and what we have seen in a training sense.”
The star midfielder was named sole captain in the 2024 pre-season after several years in the leadership group.
Additionally, Isaac Heeney will not play against North Melbourne this weekend, after the Sydney Swans’ appeal was dismissed at the AFL Appeals Board.
The Swans are coming off the back of two close losses and will be looking to restore a near-perfect record on the SCG. Longmire attributed the result to a lack of pressure – a key focus moving into Round 18.
“You need to apply an enormous amount of pressure on and around the footy, and when we’re doing that usually good things happen,” he noted.
“On the weekend we got 30-odd points up halfway through the third. We’ve got to make sure we keep that pressure on, and what’s got us to that point in the second quarter, and certainly at the start of the third, was a bit more pressure around the footy.”
The Swans will play the Kangaroos from 1:45pm on the SCG. Don’t forget, Kids Go FREE* redeemed with an adult ticket.