One off-season is all it’s taken for the Sydney Swans’ back six to jump from the team’s most established to fresh-faced third of the ground – and a man in the thick of the revival says he’s relishing the “exciting” new dawn.

A host of Swans crucial to Sydney’s 2018 defence are no longer patrolling the club’s backline, with Heath Grundy having retired, Nick Smith sidelined with injury and Zak Jones now a fully fledged midfielder.

Injuries to Jarrad McVeigh have also ripped more than 300 games’ worth of AFL experience from Sydney’s defence at a number of points this season, leaving 151-game Swan Dane Rampe in charge of a bevy of cygnets.

Rising defender Callum Mills has joined the emerging Aliir Aliir, Lewis Melican, Colin O’Riordan and Jackson Thurlow in Sydney’s back six this season – and the 22-year-old is embracing the resurgence.

“It’s been really exciting. We have a lot of new faces in our back six now. Colin’s down there, Aliir is playing really consistent footy and Lewis has shown a lot too – just to name a few,” Mills told SwansTV.

“It’s awesome that we have a group that’s coming through together. It took us a little bit to gel at the start of the season, but we’re now starting to hit some good form.”

Mills believes a sturdy structure behind the ball has long been a hallmark of the Swans, and he says it’s again beginning to click among the new crop.

“One of our strengths as a club for the last few years now has been what we do off the ball, how we set up and how we stop the opposition from moving the ball and scoring,” Mills said.

“For us to be taking that mindset into each week this year has been a real positive, and some of our ball movement off the back of that has been really good.”

A bright young Swan at the opposite end of the ground was named the AFL’s Round 14 Rising Star nominee.

Towering forward Nick Blakey produced a scintillating final quarter as Sydney ploughed to a 19-point win over the West Coast Eagles at the SCG last Friday night, booting two goals and grabbing a Mark of the Year nomination.

Mills (2015) and Blakey (2018) are both graduates of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy, and Mills marvels at the form his young teammate is showing.

“He’s been great and he’s definitely a player for the future,” Mills said.

“He’s got all the characteristics of being a good AFL footballer and he’s a really good kid. He’s had a great start to his career and hopefully he keeps developing.”