Pre-season 2020

[caj23]

Career Season Averages
Year Team GM K H D M G B T HO FF FA GA I50 CL CG R50 BL
2019 Swans 22 10.5 7.9 18.4 6.2 0.1 0 2.6 0 0.3 0.6 0.1 0.9 0.4 2.3 3.6
2018 Swans 9 11.2 8.0 19.2 4.9 0 0.1 2.6 0 1.6 0.7 0.2 1.3 0.7 1.6 3.7 0.33
2017 Swans 24 11.1 6.2 17.3 5.0 0 0.1 2.5 0 0.8 0.6 0.1 1.9 0.8 2.0 2.8
2016 Swans 22 10.5 8.1 18.6 4.8 0.1 0.1 2.3 0 0.5 0.6 0.2 1.6 0.4 2.3 3.4
Career 77 10.8 7.4 18.2 5.3 0 0.1 2.5 0 0.6 0.6 0.2 1.5 0.6 2.1 3.3 0.04
Rising Star Years Statistical Rankings
? 2nd among rising stars in Total Kicks in 2016 ? 3rd among rising stars in Total Handballs in 2016
? 3rd among rising stars in Total Disposals in 2016 ? 2nd among rising stars in Total Marks in 2016
? 2nd among rising stars in Total Supercoach Score in 2016 ? 2nd among rising stars in Total AFL Fantasy Score in 2016
? 4th among rising stars in Total Contested Possessions in 2016 ? 2nd among rising stars in Total Uncontested Possessions in 2016
? 2nd among rising stars in Total Effective Disposals in 2016 ? 2nd among rising stars in Total Clangers in 2016
? 1st among rising stars in Total Rebound 50s in 2016 ? 2nd among rising stars in Total Time On Ground % in 2016
? 3rd among rising stars in Total Metres Gained in 2016 ? 1st among rising stars in Total Turnovers in 2016
? 1st among rising stars in Total Intercepts in 2016 ? 5th among rising stars in Kicks Per Game in 2016
? 5th among rising stars in Disposals Per Game in 2016 ? 3rd among rising stars in Supercoach Score Per Game in 2016
? 4th among rising stars in Uncontested Possessions Per Game in 2016 ? 5th among rising stars in Effective Disposals Per Game in 2016
? 1st among rising stars in Rebound 50s Per Game in 2016 ? 5th among rising stars in Metres Gained Per Game in 2016
? 1st among rising stars in Turnovers Per Game in 2016 ? 1st among rising stars in Intercepts Per Game in 2016
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A stat in there you need to look at. You stated he has too many clangers, bad kicks. He is 0.60 for Clangers. He Averages 18.5 disposals that means about 1 poor disposal per game. He also averages 5.3 marks per game, mostly intercepts. He should not play on the third tall anyway as he is not tall or heavy enough. what's more he is not that sort of player to shut down the talls. Better on a medium or smaller forward where his marking and intercept skills can be highlighted. The only place that slightly lets him down is tackles. He only averages 2.5. but that may be because of his position as mids tend to get far more tackle stats than any other players. Backs tend to get more spoils, of which he does very well. He also averages 5.3 contested possessions per game. He has a DE of 78.9. The only thing to let him down is turnovers where he averages 3.5, although most of the back six average about the same due to the quick kick out of defence. So all in all he seems, from the stats to be either in the elite class or quite close.

So your saying he was elite 4 seasons ago compared to 21 of his peers, that’s hardly a ringing endorsement. Lewis Taylor was in the same position and just spent the year in the NEAFL before being traded to us

I do however agree with most of your analysis of his game but still don’t consider him any where near an elite defender

Again I’m not attacking him as I don’t feel he is in his best position

[stevoswan]

Lloyd, Houli, Hurn, Z Williams, Daniel, Stewart, Rampe, Laird, Rich, L Ryan, Sicily, Vlaustin, Crisp, B Smith, McGovern, Haynes, Johannisen, Edwards, Andrews, Shaw, Tarrant, Saad, Simpson, Hooker, Docherty, Hartlett, Hurley, Howe, Davis, Allir, Hanley, Harbrow, Jonas, Burgoyne, Keath, Moore, Langodn, Impey, Grimes, Battle, Tuohey, Taylor, Lever, May, Jetta L, Talia, N Wilson, Astbury, Hibberd, Hamling, Daw, Carliisle, Adams, Doedee, Roberton, Jetta N, Stratton

Nice effort to compile a list of defenders names but a fail when considering the brief.

Maybe a third could be considered better, maybe a third line ball and maybe a third worse. He's courageous, he's clever and he's gaining cool under pressure with each season. Add to that his ability to organise the defence, McVeigh style and he's more important than you credit him.....or is that discredit?

[bloodspirit]

Today is the day the club will be conducting lots of community camps and meet and greets, particularly in bushfire affected areas: Swans set to ramp up bushfire-relief efforts. Please send in reports of any illuminating chats with players or other juicy tidbits.

- - - Updated - - -

Today is the day the club will be conducting lots of community camps and meet and greets, particularly in bushfire affected areas: Swans set to ramp up bushfire-relief efforts. Please send in reports of any illuminating chats with players or other juicy tidbits.

[The Big Cat]

Mills in for Allies in front of about 50 other defenders!

[Bloods05]

Mills in for Allies in front of about 50 other defenders!

rofl

[wolftone57]

Lloyd, Houli, Hurn, Z Williams, Daniel, Stewart, Rampe, Laird, Rich, L Ryan, Sicily, Vlaustin, Crisp, B Smith, McGovern, Haynes, Johannisen, Edwards, Andrews, Shaw, Tarrant, Saad, Simpson, Hooker, Docherty, Hartlett, Hurley, Howe, Davis, Allir, Hanley, Harbrow, Jonas, Burgoyne, Keath, Moore, Langodn, Impey, Grimes, Battle, Tuohey, Taylor, Lever, May, Jetta L, Talia, N Wilson, Astbury, Hibberd, Hamling, Daw, Carliisle, Adams, Doedee, Roberton, Jetta N, Stratton

Please do not compare him to players who's role is different. That is just being silly. Houli, z Williams, Johannison, Shaw, Saad, langdon, Impey, Tuohey, Jetta, Wilson, Jetta are all running half backs. He is not a sprinter. not his role so you can't compare. Mind you he definitely better than many of those. Touhey is finished for a start. They had to move him forward last year because he was getting toweled up.

Hibbard, Hartlett, Daniel, Stewart, Rich, Vlausteen, Edwards, Simpson, Docherty, Hurley, Hanley, Harbrow, Jonas, Keath, Touhey, Lever, and the list goes on, are serviceable players but not stars at all. Burgoyne has slowed down and is on controlled minutes and probably should havber retired at the end of last year. Caught far too many times. Touhey the same, his asset has been his speed and that is almost gone. Houli is a good solid player, a role player and that is all. You name half the backline of a team, Carlton, who conceded the second most scores against. I think that ironic. They couldn't be that good getting 100 scored against them almost every week.

I actually believe Mills is a far better player than most of those who play the same role. Lever might have been wonderful at Adelaide but at Melbourne he is just a plodder.

[wolftone57]

So your saying he was elite 4 seasons ago compared to 21 of his peers, that’s hardly a ringing endorsement. Lewis Taylor was in the same position and just spent the year in the NEAFL before being traded to us

I do however agree with most of your analysis of his game but still don’t consider him any where near an elite defender

Again I’m not attacking him as I don’t feel he is in his best position

so you nit pick. you did not read his whole stats? No you just looked at the bottom which was his Rising Star year. But the other stats speak for themselves. You made statements which I have disproved with career stats. Stop nitpicking and admit you stuffed up stats wise. You made the statement He wastes the ball far too much. but 78% DE would disprove that. you made the statement he gets out-marked by opponents of the same ilk. No her doesn't he gets out-marked by taller, stronger opponents he has had to play on because we had no fit or in form defenders that normally play on the monsters. His stats are clear averaging over 18 disposals for a player who plays his role is really top quality. Only running half backs like Lloydy, Williams, Saad etc average over 25 because they distribute the ball and may get the ball twice or three times in a play.

[caj23]

Mills in for Allies in front of about 50 other defenders!

So he’s a better player than Dane Rampe?

[graemed]

Pre-season 2020

I’m really enjoying this spirited discussion about our only representative in the Allies team despite having our coach as a selector. There was a comment made by one of the commentators last year about the changing role of Mills last year.
It was something like how due to the extended absences of Smith, Grundy, McVeigh and Allir from the backline for much of the year Rampe and Mills together with Lloyd provided the experience and leadership in a backline that for the most part performed well against all comers.
Mills is an exceptional reader of the play, has the courage to make decisions early and when fit is one of the best one-on-one competitors in the competition.
He is tough, I still remember the tackle he made on Hawkins after stuffing up initially. He usually kicks well to position although he set shots and goal kicking could improve.
If allowed to match up against mid or small forwards, he will excel. Clearly he is less suited to bigger stronger opposition but when pitted against even players like Riewoldt and Gunston managed to hold them to modest contributions.
I look forward to seeing him playing with a taller backline this year where he does not have be so defensive in both marking contests and contested ball.

[The Big Cat]

So he’s a better player than Dane Rampe?

Rampe is not in full training.

[graemed]

So he’s a better player than Dane Rampe?

I think Dane is still in rehab

[Ralph Dawg]

I’m really enjoying this spirited discussion about our only representative in the Allies team despite having our coach as a selector. There was a comment made by one of the commentators last year about the changing role of Mills last year.
It was something like how due to the extended absences of Smith, Grundy, McVeigh and Allir from the backline for much of the year Rampe and Mills together with Lloyd provided the experience and leadership in a backline that for the most part performed well against all comers.
Mills is an exceptional reader of the play, has the courage to make decisions early and when fit is one of the best one-on-one competitors in the competition.
He is tough, I still remember the tackle he made on Hawkins after stuffing up initially. He usually kicks well to position although he set shots and goal kicking could improve.
If allowed to match up against mid or small forwards, he will excel. Clearly he is less suited to bigger stronger opposition but when pitted against even players like Riewoldt and Gunston managed to hold them to modest contributions.
I look forward to seeing him playing with a taller backline this year where he does not have be so defensive in both marking contests and contested ball.

How good Mills is and what his best position is clearly a much vexed issue.

Best position for me is as a lock down defender. Lacks that outright explosiveness and / or creative spark to be an elite mid or distributing style half back

How good is he? Reads play well, reliable and tough. Showed last year can shut down smalls, talls and anything in between. A touch too small to consistently be our 3rd tall, but do recall him doing a great job on Himmelberg, who's a pretty big unit. All up, a solid player, not quite elite. Best chance of becoming elite is for him to be our next Nick Smith, one of the best small defenders of his generation. And if I do recall, we drafted Smooch as a mid, not unlike Mills.

It's understandable that we all want Mills to be our next JPK (me included), especially given where he was drafted at. However, if he was to be the next Smooch, I would be pretty satisfied.

[TheBloods]

Why is Mills the only Swans player who seems to be held hostage by his junior position? Blakey played mostly as a forward as a teenager, but is anyone complaining that Horse is trying to move him into the midfield? Dawson was drafted as a mid, played reserves as a mid, but his role at half back was a real highlight for us in 2019. I remember thinking Smooch was going to be the next Brett Kirk, only for him to become the best small defender of his generation. Players change and adapt to new aspects while losing touch on the aspects they once thrived in. It happens literally all the time. I understand there is some attachment to the academy boys as many (myself included) spent years watching them star as teenagers in certain roles, but you've got to move on and accept that it's better to have an elite medium defender than a dud pick, which many top five draftees have turned out to be. We got lucky guys!

[TheBloods]

On an unrelated note, both my sisters and nephews met Aliir Aliir, James Rowbottom, Lewis Melican and Michael Knoll today. Heard the former two were very friendly and outgoing, were total naturals with the kids and went the extra mile to try and include every child in what was a pretty large group of kids. The latter two my other sister could barely get two words out of, both looked shy and awkward in the limelight but were polite and had none of the bravado that other professional athletes she's met have had.

She also spoke highly of the Swans staff who were coordinating, and said they went against their own schedule to try and ensure everyone got photos and autographs. But unanimous praise for our conduct from both, and my sister who drove just over an hour to make the session said it was well worth the trip for anyone contemplating doing the same in the future.

[AnnieH]

I'm baaaaaaaack.
Hope youse missed me.
Are we playing yet?
Yullah. Hurry up.