Sydney Swans skipper Callum Mills is at risk of an immediate stint back on the sidelines, set to come under scrutiny for a high bump in his first game of the season.

The 28-year-old has had a wretched run — at times self-inflicted — since the end of the 2023 season, even missing last year’s grand final defeat, with Sunday’s clash against Melbourne just his eighth AFL game since taking over as the team’s sole captain.

But his return from a plantar fascia tear suffered in February did not go as hoped as the Swans were beaten by Melbourne to the tune of 53 points.

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Mills had just 12 disposals to three-quarter time with three turnovers and no impact on the scoreboard, which was ugly for Sydney with their score of 7.3 (45) almost doubled by the Demons’ inaccurate haul of 11.15 (81).

More concerning was an incident late in the term.

Mills collected Charlie Spargo “in a fairly agricultural manner”, as described by Channel 7’s Alister Nicholson.

“He’s in trouble there, Mills, he’s left the ground,” Nick Riewoldt said in commentary.

“He’s lucky Spargo is up and looking OK otherwise it would be in serious trouble but that will absolutely be looked at (by the match review officer).”

Spargo was substituted out soon afterwards, with Melbourne insisting it was tactical and saying he passed a concussion test.

Cameron Ling said it was “a dangerous action” while Riewoldt compared it unfavourably to a collision from Saturday night’s match between Fremantle and Port Adelaide.

Dockers captain Alex Pearce was handed a three-match ban after cannoning into Darcy Byrne-Jones, who was running with the flight of the ball.

Although Pearce didn’t turn his body in a bumping motion, he took his eyes off the ball at the last moment and was airborne when contact was made.

Riewoldt argued Mills’ bump was worse.

“I’d say that’s probably more dangerous action than the Alex Pearce action and he’s staring down three weeks,” he said.

The Swans were without Joel Amartey and Justin McInerney against Melbourne after they were banned for three matches and one match respectively for bumps in last week’s win over Carlton.

Prior to this weekend Sydney already led the league for suspensions, with their players serving three more weeks than Hawthorn (seven).

Swans coach Dean Cox this week said his players were battling with both technique and discipline.

“The players need to be aware of what they can and can’t do, and then the technique, they have to train that,” he said.

“Whether it’s arms out, not shoulder in. Try and tackle, that’s probably the first thing that we always say, instead of bump.

“Players know now that if you’re doing that and any collision, you’re sitting on the sidelines.

“The bump and any contact you do make with the head, you’re a high possibility of being suspended for a number of weeks.

“We need our best players playing footy, so they were made aware that we don’t want to do that as a football club.”

On Sunday, Sydney kicked three goals to the Dees’ one either side of three-quarter time but the margin well and truly blew out midway through the last term as Melbourne secured a 19.17 (131) to 12.6 (78) win.

After a disastrous 0-5 start to the season, the Demons’ campaign is suddenly alive on the back of five wins from their past six starts.

In Sir Doug Nicholls Round, Melbourne’s Indigenous superstar Kysaiah Pickett was unstoppable at the MCG with five goals.

It was Pickett’s second eye-catching performance of the season, after also kicking five in Melbourne’s breakthrough win over Fremantle in round six.

The 23-year-old is without question one of the most damaging players in the AFL when firing, with Melbourne also using him more at centre bounces to go with his elite forward craft.

Pickett (24 possessions, six clearances) could have finished with seven or eight goals, but missed several chances when attempting crowd-pleasing finishes rather than simply putting it through the middle.

All of Melbourne’s big guns fired — Max Gawn, Christian Petracca in his 200th game, Clayton Oliver — in a clear sign things have turned around dramatically for the Demons.

The Swans, in their first outing at the MCG since last year’s grand final capitulation against the Brisbane Lions, were never in the contest.

A lack of pressure was evident from the start, and Sydney struggled badly with their ball movement.