Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera has let his exquisite right foot do the talking for him this year, but ahead of a return home for the bye, the in-demand South Australian says he wants to build something special at St Kilda and loves playing under Ross Lyon, although he isn’t ready to make a decision on his future.

The 22-year-old produced another signature performance to help St Kilda resuscitate its season in Alice Springs on Sunday, finishing with 29 disposals – 27 kicks – 795 metres gained and six rebound 50s in the 28-point win over Melbourne, despite spending 15 minutes off the ground in the second quarter to undertake a Head Injury Assessment, following a bump from Aidan Johnson.

High profile free agents Tom De Koning, Oscar Allen, Brayden Maynard, Sam Draper and James Worpel all remain unsigned and the subject of daily speculation – along with Marcus Bontempelli – but Wanganeen-Milera is arguably the most consequential out-of-contract player in the AFL this year. 

After finishing fifth in each of the past two Trevor Barker Awards, Wanganeen-Milera has ascended into the elite bracket in 2025, averaging 28.4 disposals, 616m gained, 5.6 rebound 50s and 5.5 score involvements per game to be rated the No.2 general defender in the AFL by Champion Data, behind dual All-Australian Jack Sinclair and just ahead of Lachie Ash and Bailey Dale. 

Wanganeen-Milera will head back to Adelaide this week and meet with his manager, Ben Williams from Players Ink, for more meaningful discussions around where he will play in 2026 and beyond. 

Adelaide and Port Adelaide are trying to lure him home, while the Saints are desperate to retain a player who has played 75 games since being selected at pick No.11 in the 2021 Telstra AFL Draft. Wherever he plays next season, the classy rebounding defender is expected to be the next $1 million per season player in the game. 

"I am happy playing here. I've got great relationships with the boys. I love Ross, I love all the coaching staff. I want to be part of something special here at St Kilda," Wanganeen-Milera told AFL.com.au after passing a SKAT5 test at TIO Traeger Park on Sunday night.  

"This is obviously a step towards it. We've got a good young crew. We are all self-driven and want to be the best Saints ever. That's what we are striving for. We know there are going to be ups and downs. We just want to keep sticking at it and getting to work. 

"Obviously the media talks, so we just try and concentrate on getting to work on building out our future. I try and let my footy do the talking and try and avoid the stuff. My manager is back in Adelaide so we will talk over there."

St Kilda kept its season alive by withstanding a deluge of Melbourne entries – the Demons registered 17 more inside 50s – and punishing Simon Goodwin's side on the rebound to register a fifth win of the season, remaining just within touch of the top eight. 

Wanganeen-Milera will be in the votes. But to make the performance more meaningful, Sunday marked St Kilda's first ever win in the Northern Territory on a day where all four Indigenous players contributed to the victory. 

Marcus Windhager not only nullified Kysaiah Pickett, holding the in-form game-changer to 12 touches and scoreless, the tagger also finished with 28 disposals in Alice Springs. Isaac Keeler booted a career-high three goals, while Bradley Hill roamed the wide expanses of TIO Traeger Park, finishing with 26 disposals and 678 metres gained. 

"It definitely was significant," Wanganeen-Milera said. "We are all close. I live with 'Windy' and I’ve grown up with Isaac since a teenager. 'Hilly' is like a big brother to all of us, we are around his house a fair bit for dinners. We sort of all sync pretty well and look for each other a bit out there. 'Windy' has a tough job and he is one of the best at it. Such a team role, so important for the win. It was great to see Isaac rewarded after putting in the work over the off-season.”

For the third game in a row St Kilda (Euro-Yroke) wore the guernsey designed by Wanganeen-Milera for Sir Doug Nicholls Round, which showcases his yawa (journey) from South Australia to the AFL and represents his two cultural groups – the Narungga and Kokatha peoples – and his football home in Moorabbin. Wanganeen-Milera grew up watching his Pop paint large artworks in the shed and wanted to pursue painting after he passed away last year.  

"It was pretty special to design the jumper," he said. "The club came to me and asked if I wanted to do design it. I went back to Adelaide in the off-season, spoke to mum and dad and we all drew up a couple of designs and it was about my journey and my pathway to the AFL and to Moorabbin. It was special to wear it."

Wanganeen-Milera lives with Mitch Owens and Marcus Windhager not far from the club. All three were recruited out of the 2021 draft. Owens (pick No.33) and Windhager (pick No.47) are graduates of the Saints' Next Generation Academy. All three are viewed as crucial long-term piece of the puzzle at RSEA Park, along with more recent first-round picks Mattaes Phillipou, Darcy Wilson, Tobie Travaglia and Alix Tauru. 

"We all got drafted together and have become great mates; they are two of my best mates," he said. "They are both really switched on, but we have a lot of fun outside of footy. Mitchito likes to say he does all the cooking, but nah he doesn't. It's pretty good to be living with two of our best mates. 'Windy' probably doesn't clean as much, he will admit that."

Wanganeen-Milera lived with consummate professional Mason Wood and his partner Mikaela Schreuder in his early days in Victoria, learning how to recover, what to eat and how to dot his i’s and cross his t’s. Just as importantly, Wood helped him overcome bouts of homesickness and come out of his shell. 

"Them two are very special to me. Coming to Melbourne was obviously tough being a shy, young Indigenous boy. First time out of home," he said.

"He has had a big impact on me, taught me how to be a professional athlete and having balance outside of footy as well. He is like another big brother to me. They do an unreal job for all the kids at the club. They have three living with them now."

St Kilda has been hunting free agents and rival stars for years, but the signature it needs most belongs to the player currently wearing the No.7 made famous by Nicky Winmar and Lenny Hayes. Both were born and raised outside Victoria but became iconic figures wearing the red, white and black. The Saints hope Wanganeen-Milera follows the same path. Without him, the task for that elusive second premiership becomes much harder.