Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Sport
Adrian Warren

Sydney co-captain Mills tips Swans to fill Buddy vacuum

Callum Mills (pic) says the Swans will cope without Lance Franklin and Sam Reid against Hawthorn. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Sydney co-captain Callum Mills is confident the Swans have sufficient firepower to cover for the absence of veteran key forwards Lance Franklin and Sam Reid.

Franklin will miss Sunday's SCG clash against his former club Hawthorn after accepting a one-week ban for his high bump on Gold Coast defender Sam Collins, while Reid is unavailable because of a glute issue.

While that will leave Sydney short on experienced talls up front, Mills has backed the likes of Hayden McLean, who played against the Suns, and Joel Amartey, who was named in Thursday's extended team, to step up.

It will be the first time since round seven in May 2021 that Sydney will take the field without both Franklin and Reid.

McLean certainly stepped up in their absence on that occasion against Geelong at the SCG, bagging his AFL personal-best haul of four goals in a two-point win.

Franklin kicked the first two goals in Sydney's opening-round 49-point mauling of the Suns, but the Swans had 11 other players notch at least one major.

"I think it just brings what they (Franklin's replacement) bring to the team and just play in our system," Mills said on Friday at the SCG.

"Bud's been really good for us and it's unfortunate he's suspended but it's next man up.

"And whoever that is that comes in, I'm sure will play their role and doesn't have to do anything amazing and over the top.

"We've played a lot of footy with Joel Amartey, we've played footy with Hayden McLean so it's a bit different (forward line) but you've also still got constants like Paps (Tom Papley) and Heens (Isaac Heeney) forward."

Midfielder Mills said the absence of Franklin and Reid also potentially offered more opportunities for highly rated 20-year-old key forward Logan McDonald, who kicked two goals against the Suns and is considered by many to be 36-year-old Franklin's successor.

"Definitely, he's developed really well, played really well last week and it's just getting that consistency," Mills said.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.