Swans skipper got the news every footy player dreads just before the grand final – and now a footy great says he has nobody to blame but himself

Swans captain Callum Mills will unfortunately not feature in this year’s AFL Grand Final against Brisbane despite training at ‘100 per cent’ in the lead-up to the match.

The 27-year-old was unfortunately ruled out of the first 16 games of the 2024 season after suffering a strange injury during the Swans’ post-season event ‘Mad Monday’.

Mills tore his shoulder blade while wrestling with teammate Jacob Konstanty and would not recover from the injury until round 18 against North Melbourne.

The Swans captain has played seven games this season but suffered another setback two weeks ago after suffering a hamstring injury.

The injury prevented him from participating in the Swans’ final against Port Adelaide on Friday.

Mills appeared to recover quickly from the injury, claiming he was “at 100 percent” during training on Wednesday.

But according to Channel 7 reporter Ryan Daniels, the midfielder left coach John Longmire’s office “in tears” when he learned he had not been selected for Saturday’s clash.

A statement from the club said: ‘Sydney Swans captain Callum Mills will not play in Saturday’s AFL Grand Final.

Mills is said to have been training at ‘100 per cent’ during the Swans’ training session on Wednesday

‘Mills trained this morning and after careful consideration, the club’s medical staff and coaches have jointly decided to rule him out.

‘Mills pulled his hamstring two weeks ago in training.’

Before the game, Longmire was also impressed with Mills’ recovery, telling reporters that the captain had “gone crazy” in training on Wednesday.

The midfielder had also insisted he was fit enough to play in the Grand Final. He said: ‘[I] 100 percent trained.

“Hopefully (I’ll play). It’s up to Horse (John Longmire) now. But I’ve been through the training and I feel good. I just had to train hard and hopefully that’s enough.

“I was just worried about the team and whether we were in the best shape to play well in a granny situation.”

It looks like Robbie Fox will make the move to the 22, while Mills will now be out.

It is another blow to the Swans captain’s injury-plagued year, but one major footballer believes his injury could be a lesson to other players in the competition.

Former Port Adelaide midfielder Kane Cornes said he had “no sympathy” for Mills and that players needed to ensure they were “in the best physical condition at this point in the season”.

“He’s not in great shape,” Cornes said on Nine’s Footy Classified.

The 27-year-old was painfully ruled out of the first 16 games of the 2024 season after suffering a freak injury during the Swans’ post-season event ‘Mad Monday’

Kane Cornes told Nine’s Footy Classified he had ‘no sympathy’ for the Swans captain

“I think he really has himself to blame. I think it’s a real lesson for other players, football is every day of the year.

‘You have to prepare yourself so that you are in the best physical condition at this time of year.

“When he tore his shoulder blade while clowning on Mad Monday, it was completely preventable,” Cornes added.

‘The captain putting himself in that position is a lesson to other players.

‘He has no continuity with his body because he missed so much football because of that stupid incident on Mad Monday. I have no sympathy for him at all.’