‘Biggest since Plugger’: Deadline over Saints’ huge $1.4m contract call as rebuild fears laid bare

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It’s the biggest contract decision at Moorabbin since Plugger.

And strap yourselves in Saints fans, because if we haven’t heard from Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera “in the next fortnight” the alarm bells will start ringing.

St Kilda are desperately trying to secure the signature of superstar young gun Wanganeen-Milera, amid rival interest from both clubs in his home state of South Australia.

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And St Kilda champion Leigh Montagna believes the club’s success is intertwined with ensuring Wanganeen-Milera is at the club next year and beyond.

“I don’t think there has been a bigger contract call in St Kilda, since Tony Lockett asked for a trade in 1994,” Montagna told Fox Footy’s First Crack.

“That’s how significant and important Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera is to the success of this football club.

“You don’t get many talents like him walking through the door. We probably haven’t seen him at St Kilda since Nick Riewoldt 25 years ago and if he does choose to go to another club or ask for a trade, it is going to set this rebuild back five to ten years.”

Montagna believes the sky is the limit for Wanganeen-Milera given his unique traits as a footballer.

“He is just more than an exciting, talented half-back flanker. I think he can be one of the best midfielders in the competition and follow the path of Jordan Dawson, Ed Richards, Hayden Young and in recent times Miles Bergman, to become this exceptionally talented midfield player,” he said.

“I think they’ve got to explore the ceiling over the next six to seven weeks of the season and find out what he is capable of.”

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St Kilda coach Ross Lyon heaped praise on his young star after an outstanding performance against Hawthorn, where the South Australian amassed 43 disposals, 10004 metres gained and 11 score involvements.

“We know he’s got half-back, we know he’s got mid and I think he can do a bit of forward stuff. We’ve got a long term plan that he becomes great, rather than just a great half-back. But there will be moments and times over a period of time,” Lyon said post-match.

The midfield superstar prototype has evolved in recent years. The game has progressed away from the big-bodied gun midfielder like Patrick Cripps and Christian Petracca a little bit and instead clubs are looking for “fleet-footed guys who have got the ability to change angles, use their speed and break lines”, such as Collingwood’s Nick Daicos.

Wanganeen-Milera is just that. Out of all players in the competition to play 200+ minutes in the midfield this year, Wanganeen-Milera is ranked 18th in the competition. That was before his incredible performance against the Hawks.

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“They moved him in there to try and win the game,” Montagna said.

In the fourth quarter alone, Wanganeen-Milera had 15 disposals (six contested) and six score involvements, doing everything in his power to try and drag the Saints over the line.

“I just wonder what he can do for this group if he plays more midfield minutes… there’s no reason why he can’t be a permanent inside mid because he’s clean, he can win clearance and he’s got that ability to try and set up some play,” Montagna added.

His upside as a midfielder is clearly enormous, especially to St Kilda’s on-ball brigade which often looks a little bit same-same and one-paced. As for his role as a rebounder out of defence, the Saints already have two-time All-Australian Jack Sinclair back there, while youngster Tobie Travaglia and 26-year-old Hunter Clark could also be used in the role.

The Saints have been looking for their ‘big fish’ for years. They had a swing and a miss for Luke Davies-Uniacke. They couldn’t bring Finn Callaghan back to Bayside. They even had a bit of a dabble at Matt Rowell.

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“They’re looking for their midfield superstar… well maybe this guy is right under their nose. Why can’t he be the elite A-grade midfielder that can set them up for the next ten years?” Montagna said.

North Melbourne champion David King hopes the Saints have done enough to keep him at Moorabbin and that the shift to the midfield, or lack thereof, doesn’t cost them.

“I think they’ve been really slow to this and I just hope it doesn’t cost them the player. If Sydney had have tried Jordan Dawson in the role he is playing now, would he still be there? I don’t know, the players get excited by their own form and their own role and the coach’s faith in that role,” King said.

“It’s a great conversation, it’s a huge signature, there’s no doubt about that. They’ve whinged a lot about what the landscape is doing. We’ve heard the president, we’ve heard the coach, they can’t afford to lose this one. For all the whinging that they’ve done about father-sons and academies, look after your own backyard first.”

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Herald Sun Chief Football Reporter Jay Clark said a potential trade between Wanganeen-Milera and a South Australian club would be “almost an impossible deal”.

“If he does request a trade, I think it would almost be an impossible deal. If Melbourne want three first-round picks for Kysaiah Pickett, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera is if not a better player,” he began.

“Out of contract, they generally get done, if he requests to leave,” Montagna interjected.

“One of your teammates got sent into the draft. Luke Ball got sent into the draft when St Kilda played hard ball,” Clark replied.

“And he got to where he wanted to get to,” Montagna added.

“I think this would be a feisty negotiation and a very difficult one, if it got to that. If it was Port Adelaide, they don’t even have a first round pick, they’d want three, Ross Lyon,” Clark said.

“I think he’s more likely to stay than leave on a deal that could be $1.2 million plus incentives, $1.3 or $1.4 potentially if he has big, big, seasons.”

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Montagna replied: “In the meantime, he’s giving every St Kilda supporter grey hair, we just hope that he can hurry up and sign that dotted line… I think he will (be there). I think he’ll stay.”

Clark finished by saying: “I reckon if we don’t have a decision by the end of the week, if not a fortnight, I reckon that’s a sign that he wants to get out. I reckon these next ten days are absolutely critical.”

Whether Wanganeen-Milera decides to remain at St Kilda or not remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure and that is securing his signature is the biggest priority St Kilda have had for decades.

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