St Kilda has celebrated landing a big fish in young gun Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. He has signed a new two-year, $4 million contract. The announcement comes after a weekend of speculation that Wanganeen-Milera would seek a trade to Adelaide. On Saturday, he informed his teammates Jack Steele and Callum Wilkie on a fishing trip that he would make a commitment to stay with St Kilda. Then came the big moment, his public announcement on Monday.
The news of Wanganeen-Milera’s re-signing has generated considerable excitement among St Kilda’s players and fans alike. Fellow teammates Steele and Wilkie could hardly contain their excitement during an interview with 7NEWS. They exposed that they had been informed by Wanganeen-Milera’s impending decision days before it went public.
Steele recounted how they received the news, stating, “I don’t know if I can tell the truth here or not… Nah, he sort of told us both individually two days ago, on Saturday, so we have known for a few days I guess.” He further emphasized Wanganeen-Milera’s talent, saying, “Like Wilks said, he’s been playing great footy this year and he deserves every bit of it.”
Wilkie, who was present when Wanganeen-Milera shared his decision, said, “I was with him on Saturday so he told me in person.” He expressed his joy over the decision, adding, “I was ecstatic, it’s huge, I gave him a big hug, it’s great to have him at this footy club.”
What makes the timing of Wanganeen-Milera’s contract signing especially significant is the date. Historically, players have signed contracts much earlier in the calendar year, so this late re-signing is a bit of an outlier. His determination to remain with St Kilda is a huge lift to the club. With a few big recent drafts and signings the roster is already looking a bit stronger.
Wanganeen-Milera’s importance to the current team is hard to understate. As a super elite kick and overall player, his work has been even more crucial to St Kilda’s surprise run this season. His teammates have taken notice as well. As far as the league goes, they are looking to have his best efforts push the team to the top of the league.
At one particularly jocular point in the conversational interview, Wilkie teased at the impending whoop-de-do that would accompany such an announcement. He’d hear that Wanganeen-Milera would be toasting the aforementioned teammates at their end-of-year drinkies boozer. This sentiment is telling, both of the camaraderie that currently exists on this young team and their collective excitement for what 2024 holds.
The buzz surrounding Wanganeen-Milera’s re-signing is palpable, as fans look forward to seeing how his extended commitment will positively impact St Kilda’s performance in upcoming matches. The club has done a lot in recent years to improve its competitive advantage. To make sure they stay up there for a long time, they need to keep their best young players such as Wanganeen-Milera.
