Former Swans skipper Dane Rampe parachuted in to replace injured captain Callum Mills

Former Sydney captain Dane Rampe has been parachuted back into the role to stand in for injured skipper Callum Mills.

Rampe will act as interim captain for the remainder of the finals series after Mills suffered a devastating ACL injury during the Swans’ inspired qualifying-final victory over Brisbane.

Regular vice-captain Isaac Heeney is currently serving a club-imposed suspension and remains at the centre of a Victoria Police investigation into the alleged Pullman Hotel scandal last month.

Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordan and Riley Bice were all stood down for the rest of the season for breaching club standards.

Given Mills and Heeney made up just a two-player leadership group announced by the club before the start of the season, the Swans had to hand-pick someone from outside the leadership group to lead them for as many as two more possible games.

Rampe served as co-captain between 2019-2023 and has played in four losing grand finals — 2014, 2016, 2022 and 2024 — since making his debut in 2013.

Now, the 36-year-old has the opportunity to captain an unlikely premiership in what could be his last year for the club, with a decision on his future beyond 2026 yet to be made.

Rampe was given the nod ahead of younger midfielders James Rowbottom and Errol Gulden, in a decision made largely by coach Dean Cox and Mills.

“Dane has always been an exceptionally tough footballer, and he continues to show remarkable leadership qualities, which we see on a daily basis inside the four walls,” Cox said.

“As devastating as it is to lose Millsy so late in the season, we feel Ramps has the perfect characteristics and experience to lead this team for the rest of this season.

Sydney will host Fremantle at the SCG on Friday night for a spot in the grand final.

Their thumping win against the Lions just over a week ago was widely seen as one of their greatest ever victories, given the events of the previous few weeks.

Rampe’s return to captaincy comes after being re-drafted as a rookie by the Swans with fellow defender Jake Lloyd at the end of last year.

While Lloyd has signed on for a 15th season, neither Rampe nor the Swans have made a call on whether he will continue next year.