Swans captain Callum Mills is ‘gutted’ over a shoulder injury that could keep him out of the AFL season opener.
Callum Mills has apologized for critically hurting his shoulder in a Mad Monday accident that could cost him the Sydney captaincy.
At the post-season bout, the co-captain injured his left rotator cuff while wrestling teammate Jacob Konstanty.
He underwent surgery and may miss a significant portion of the 2024 AFL season.
“This is not a reflection of the captain I aspired to be and I’m gutted that this will potentially put the start of my season at risk,” Mills stated on Wednesday.
“I made a blunder. I put myself in danger and accept full responsibility.
“One thing I do want to assure people is, I’m doing everything I possibly can to get back as quick as possible.”
Since 2022, the 26-year-old has served as a Swans co-captain alongside Dane Rampe and Luke Parker.
He has appeared in 155 games for Sydney since his debut in 2016, initially at half-back before moving into the midfield.
Mills has yet to meet with club authorities to discuss if he would be stripped of the captain’s armband.
“That is a decision for the club to make at the appropriate moment… “But what I will say is that I absolutely love being the president of this club,” he remarked.”It’s something I hold deep to my heart and it’s a position that I don’t hold for granted.”
Mills declined to comment on Konstanty or provide any details on the incident, instead labeling it a “innocuous accident.”
Mills immediately alerted Coach John Longmire of the situation after undergoing scans to establish the seriousness of the injury.
“The next couple of days, I didn’t know what I’d done, how bad it was,” Mills recalled.
“It wasn’t that bad at the time, but it is obviously what it is now.” I went straight to his office when I found out.
“It was extremely hard but that’s the respect I have for Horse, to be able to own it and take full responsibility and he was disappointed.”
Mills was out for the most of the 2018 season after injuring his foot in an unusual accident.
Mills stumbled and fell while throwing an American football with teammates on the way back from a cafe in May of that year, according to the Swans.
Sydney, last year’s losing grand champions, placed ninth this season and were eliminated in the elimination final by Carlton.
