After a string of impressive performances, the young defender was finally recognised for his efforts in round 16 against Geelong by snaring a long overdue Rising Star nomination.

Mills accrued an equal career-high 23 disposals at Simonds Stadium on Friday night to be one of the Swans' best in their emphatic 38-point victory.

However, in the award's 23-year history, the latest a player has ever been nominated and gone on to win it was round 14 in 2001 when St Kilda's Justin Koschitzke saluted.

Mills would be quietly confident of bettering Koschitzke's 15-year old record, though.

The academy player has hit the ground running in his debut year, averaging 18 disposals, four marks and three rebound 50s per match to instantly become a key part of the Swans' backline in what looms as potentially a premiership year.

Mills has stormed into calculations in recent weeks and is now the $3.50 equal favourite with UBET to join club champions Adam Goodes (1999) and Dan Hannebery (2010) as a Rising Star winner for Sydney.

But if history is to be used as a guide, Melbourne midfielder Clayton Oliver and Carlton defender Jacob Weitering have some cause for optimism given round one and round three - the respective weeks they were nominated this year - have produced the most Rising Star winners, with four each.

Rising Star Winners – Latest Nominations To Earliest

2001 – Justin Koschitzke (StK) R14
1996 – Ben Cousins (WC) R12
2012 – Daniel Talia (Adel) R12
2014 – Lewis Taylor (BL) R9
2015 – Jesse Hogan (Melb) R9
2005 – Brett Deledio (Rich) R8
1993 – Nathan Buckley (BB) R7
1994 – Chris Scott (BB) R7
2002 – Nick Riewoldt (StK) R5
2007 – Joel Selwood (Geel) R5
2013 – Jaeger O'Meara (GC) R5
1995 – Nick Holland (Haw) R4
1997 – Michael Wilson (PA) R4
1998 – Byron Pickett (NM) R3
2004 – Jared Rivers (Melb) R3
2006 – Danyle Pearce (PA) R3
2008 – Rhys Palmer (Fre) R3
1999 – Adam Goodes (Syd) R2
2010 – Daniel Hannebery (Syd) R2
2000 – Paul Hasleby (Fre) R1
2003 – Sam Mitchell (Haw) R1
2009 – Daniel Rich (BL) R1
2011 – Dyson Heppell (Ess) R1