Callum Mills is the Most Well-Rounded Midfielder in the AFL
Last updated: May 31, 2022, 10:11AM | Published: May 31, 2022, 6:50AM
As quietly and unassuming as his style of play, Callum Mills has put together 18 months of elite football that has turned him into the most well-rounded midfielder in the AFL.
We often think of attacking output as a way for midfielders to prove that they have different strings to their bow, but no one is as defensively accomplished as Sydney's co-captain.
Since the start of the 2021 season, Mills has averaged 25.9 disposals, 7 marks and 5.7 tackles per game, along with being ranked 15th in the AFL for inside 50s, 12th for goal assists, and averaging 2.7 rebound 50s, proving his value across each sector of the ground for Sydney.
Easing Into a Career in Defence
Of course, the 25-year-old's defensive pedigree is built on the fact he spent nearly five full seasons exclusively as a half-back at the Swans, much to the chagrin of many a bullish supporter.
Out of his 2015 draft class, Mills was arguably the most dominant inside midfielder whose weaknesses may well have been his positional versatility and polish with foot skills.
In typical John Longmire fashion, the introduction of the highly touted prospect was always going to be educational and Mills soon became a consistent contributor. At no point in his first five seasons at AFL level did his kicking efficiency drop below 72.3%, hovering around an above average of 75% for most of that time.
With the likes of Josh P Kennedy and Luke Parker and an array of other contributors dominant on the inside, Mills averaged around 18 disposals and 5 marks per game while learning accountability.
Perhaps unforeseen by even his great coach Longmire was just how important Mills would become as a defender for the team. He averaged 2 intercept marks per game in just his second season and by 2019, he lost just 18.4% of one-on-ones, rated elite amongst general defenders.
He also won so much uncontested ball through his first four seasons that many thought he had lost his junior ability, but 2020 saw Mills take a big step forward. He averaged 6.7 intercept possessions in shortened games, ranked 9th in the AFL. He got his contested possession rate up to 36.3%, and his spoiling and tackling became elite.
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Transitioning to the Midfield
When Mills lined up in the centre in Round 1, 2021 for the lowly-rated Swans against premiership contenders Brisbane at the Gabba, many thought it was a matter of being teased.
When the skipper finished the game with impressive stats – 29 disposals, 8 marks, 2 goals, 416 metres gained and 10 score involvements, leading his team to an unlikely victory and himself, three Brownlow votes – many knew that the time had arrived.
Since that point, it has been crystal clear as to who the Swans' most consistent and reliable midfielder has been. In 29 games, he has dropped below 20 disposals just three times – having 19 disposals twice, and 18 disposals in 51% game time against Gold Coast in Round 23, 2021.
He has been immediately prolific, averaging 27.5 disposals last season and 25.9 so far in 2022. The tackling numbers are also up, averaging 5.5 per game over the last 18 months, and there has been natural progression in his pressure acts given his proximity to the contest, rated above average.
While his intercept marking itself has dropped off, averaging 6.5 marks per game as a midfielder puts him in the upper echelon. His fitness is surpassed only by his footy IQ, running to the right spaces to get his hands on the ball.
Most importantly though, is the winning culture adopted by Sydney. The team is 19-10 in the games Mills has played in the last two seasons and 3-2 without him.
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The Swans' Mr Fix It
We only need to look as far back as Round 11's come-from-behind win against Richmond to show just how good Mills is.
The usual wildcard of a coach is to throw a Marcus Bontempelli, Dustin Martin or Christian Petracca into attack and let them hit the scoreboard.
Longmire's wildcard was putting Callum Mills deep into defence as the spare, playing the role of a seasoned general, pulling the strings.
When the Tigers went high and long, the former Academy pick was always at the contest to at least body the opposition. He produced a couple of key spoils, went at 80% disposal efficiency and added a lot of pointing and guiding for his teammates.
Without Nick Blakey's elite kicking, a spot was left open and Mills' second-half exploits as a leader in defence were match-winning.
Why Mills Is the AFL's Most Well-Rounded Midfielder
While he was once seen as an elite, albeit one-dimensional inside midfield prospect, Mills has become anything but.
Players are often eased into senior competition when they're younger, but few have actioned their learnings as impressively and influentially as Mills.
Despite the prolific nature of his midfield move and the accolades that will soon arrive, there has been no disregard shown to his defensive side.
His average of 2.7 rebound 50s since the start of 2021 is only marginally lower than what he was delivering across half-back, while rating highly in inside 50s and covering much more ground with his disposals.
Mills chases hard to tackle and will stand in the hole when called upon, and the statistics show that his defensive commitment hasn't wavered.
To prove his value in all parts of the ground, Mills is averaging 0.9 goal assists, 6.1 score involvements and 1.8 score launches per game – despite his above-average defensive numbers.
He is in the same tier as Marcus Bontempelli, Josh Dunkley and Christian Petracca for score launches, while his offensive assisting and involvement numbers match Richmond's Shai Bolton, while his efficiency puts all other big names to shame.
Put simply, there is no player in the entire competition who can influence their team in as many ways as Callum Mills.
He is capable of performing in any role, whether it be lockdown defender or ball-winning midfielder, and he has done just that since becoming the main star of the Swans, which is great news for Sydney fans.
At 25 years of age, the sky's the limit for Mills, particularly if he can hit the scoreboard more – but even so, it hasn't affected his output or the Swans at all.
Callum Mills is the most well-rounded midfielder in the AFL and should be universally placed in the upper echelon of the AFL's centremen.
Callum Mills 2022 Brownlow Odds
The Swans take on the Demons at the MCG on Saturday night this week.
