Callum Mills is ready to again show the way for his Sydney Swans teammates in season 2020, declaring his appointment to the leadership group is “an honour I don’t take lightly”.
Mills was recently named on a five-man leadership panel alongside co-captains Josh Kennedy, Luke Parker and Dane Rampe, as well as star forward Lance Franklin.
The QBE Sydney Swans Academy product already has a year of official leadership on his resume after his elevation to the group for the 2019 season.
The road to season 2020 will ramp up when the Swans play the first of two Marsh Community Series games in just over a month – and Mills is determined to continue thriving as a leader in the new campaign.
“It’s nice to have an official leadership tag. I don’t think it changes much in terms of what you do around the place, but it’s nice to be recognised by the playing group and it’s an honour I don’t take lightly,” Mills told SwansTV.
“You just do what you do naturally if you’re in the leadership group. The players have picked you because that’s what you’re like. It’s a title and there’s a bit of responsibility, but at the end of the day we’re all here to get better and drive standards, which the leadership group tries to set.”
Franklin has taken on an official leadership role for the first time in his illustrious 300-game career with Hawthorn and Sydney.
The four-time Coleman medallist had long been considered an exceptional leader despite the absence of an official label, so strong an example had he set for names like Will Hayward, Tom McCartin, Ben Ronke and Nick Blakey.
Franklin is tackling about 10 weeks of rehabilitation after injuring his knee in a run on New Year’s Eve, but there are very few others on the club’s injury list.
The squad split into two teams for an unofficial practice match at Lakeside Oval on Monday, and Mills said rising midfielder James Rowbottom was among the many who continued to shine.
“There’s been a lot of them putting in really impressive pre-seasons,” Mills said.
“It’s been well documented that we’ve had a lot of numbers on the track. Guys like James Rowbottom have been really good. There’s a whole number of them. I don’t want to single them out but it’s been really good.”
Sydney will face cross-city rival GWS at Blacktown International Sportspark in its first Marsh Community Series match, before travelling to Tasmania to meet North Melbourne at Kingston Twins Ovals.
The Swans will then open their 2020 campaign against the Adelaide Crows at Adelaide Oval on March 21.
Mills says anticipation is building as game day draws closer.
“It’s come around quickly,” Mills said.
“Next thing you know we’re playing games so everyone’s super-excited. I think at this time of year you’re ready to get into games and you’re sick of running around at training, so we’re all excited for the season ahead.”
