Mills champing at bit now he’s good to go

AFL GRAND FINAL

SYDNEY’S Rising Star winner Callum Mills says he has got “full confidence” in his body getting through the grand final after fighting back from a hamstring injury three weeks ago.

The 19-year-old admitted to a “lot of relief” when told he had passed his final fitness hurdles this week and been selected in the premiership decider.

Mills injured his hamstring early in the Swans’ qualifying final loss to Greater Western Sydney on September 10, just 21 days ago.

But Mills said his recovery had been trouble-free and he was confident he was ready to launch into the grand final against the Western Bulldogs.

“I can’t complain with how it’s gone and I’ve got full confidence,’’ Mills said.

“It was a lot of relief, really (to get selected).

“It was very exciting, a lot of hard work had come off, but realistically tomorrow is when it all starts. That’s behind me now and the main focus is tomorrow to get the win.

“(My season) is not complete, we’ve still got to get the win tomorrow. I think it will (be a dream) if we get the win tomorrow and it sort of means nothing if we lose tomorrow.”

Mills said he had feared the worst when he initially injured his hamstring against the Giants, but from the moment he got a positive result with his scans, he set his sights on a return.

“It was a scary time, I had never done a hamstring before, I was sort of thinking the worst but after the scans it was all positive,’’ Mills said.

“That’s all behind me now and on to the game.’’

Meanwhile a medical appointment yesterday confirmed Bulldogs ruckman Jordan Roughead will play in the grand final.

Roughead suffered bleeding in his eye last week but a specialist cleared him for today’s decider.

The Bulldogs’ unchanged team means defender Matt Suckling (achilles) and Lin Jong (collarbone) loom as the grand final hard luck stories after late season injuries saw them unable to force their way back in.