New Sydney co-captain Callum Mills concedes his Achilles issue is “fickle” but is confident club doctors are on top of it and he’ll play out the season as a locked in midfielder.
Mills, who was elevated to a three-man Swans captaincy group for 2022xjmtzyw, played nearly half a game against North Melbourne in a practice match last Sunday after a long battle with an Achilles problem.
He missed the Swans‘ elimination final loss to Greater Western Sydney last August with the same problem and had struggled to complete full training sessions before running out against the Kangaroos.
With 10 days until the Round 1 showdown with the Giants, Mills said he had come through that hitout well and hoped the club medical staff had found the best way to manage the ongoing issue.
He didn’t know if he would need to have his game time managed through the early period of the season but training was being monitored.
“It’s continuity of doing the right load. It’s super fickle but I think we have been able to get a hold of it and hopefully it’s set for the season,”Mills said on Wednesday.
“We’ve still got 10 or 11 days to Round 1. We’ll see what this week’s training block looks like and we’ll decide after that (about managing game time).
“It’s tracking really well. I was able to play about a half against North Melbourne and it’s pulled up really well.”
Swans players are on high alert for superstar forward Lance Franklin who is only five goals away from becoming just the sixth player in AFL history to kick 1000 goals.
Mills said the Swans players “had spoken about it” but couldn’t get lost in trying to make it happen in the season-opener.
“We’ve spoken about it. It’s an unbelievable achievement from Bud, something which might not happen again.
“But (looking for him) depends where the game is at. We are going to do everything we can to win in Round 1.
“I am sure it will happen, but when I’m not sure.”
After surprising plenty in 2021 with an early-season surge which resulted din the Swans making the finals, Mills said the expectations for 2022 were no different to last year.
“We’re aware of what we are capable of doing, and that might have shocked a few people last year,” he said
“But to be honest, nothing really changes. We know what helps us win football games.
“We know after last season what our DNA is, high pressure, and the more we can stick to our game plan we understand that will bring the best chance of us winning games.
“We have full buy in and belief in that.”
