Sydney stalwart Heath Grundy hailed the emergence of classy first-year fellow defender Callum Mills and the job he’s doing in the high-flying AFL side.
The Swans’ first top-10 draft pick from metropolitan Sydney, 19-year-old Mills has been every bit as good as advertised.
Regarded as a midfielder he has lined up across half back, playing all five games for the 4-1 Swans, averaging 17 disposals and four marks per match.
“Millsy has been terrific,” centre half back Grundy said on Sunday.
“As a first-year player his form has been great, he’s settled into senior football really well.
“He looks composed, he fits in, really good, so that’s been great for us.
“You don’t have to tell him too much, he’s got a good football brain and he sees the game well, so you can let him go about his way.
“He’s a pretty switched on young kid.”
The Swans are off to their best start since a 5-1 effort in 2013.
“It’s important to keep winning at this time of year … to get wins early in the season,” Grundy said.
“We’ve been playing some really good footy, but I think you can’t ever rest on that, we’ve got to keep improving.”
Veteran key position backs Grundy and Ted Richards were both outstanding in Saturday’s 39-point home win over West Coast, with the Eagles multiple forward threats having minimal influence on the match.
Suggestions from intestate they could be exploited by younger more mobile forwards hasn’t worried them.
“We’ve played a fair while now, we know what holds us in good stead,” Grundy said.
Grundy said Richards was continuing to talk up his 51-metre goal against the Eagles, the fullback’s first major for three years.
“He’s comparing it to Malcolm Blight’s’s goal I think,” said Grundy referring to Blight’s legendary estimated 80-metre match-winning major after the siren for North Melbourne against Carlton in 1976.
Midfielder Dan Hannebery was sporting an eye-patch at Sunday’s recovery session after getting poked in the eye against the Eagles, but club officials expect him to play against Brisbane next Sunday.
