‘Important’ detail in formal $2.4m Nasiah offer... and why ‘strong ties’ leave Saints confident

Lyon: "The Recession we needed to have" | 07:31

St Kilda has reportedly made a formal offer to in-demand star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera as he continues to mull over his playing future.

The game-changing half-back-flanker remains out of contract at Moorabbin amid significant interest from his native South Australia, with the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide chomping at the bit to acquire his services.

But on Saturday night, Herald Sun chief football writer Jay Clark reported the Saints had tabled an official offer of two years at $1.2 million — plus possible incentives — per season to the highly-skilled 22-year-old — and relayed the club’s confidence in its ability to persuade ‘Nas’ to recommit.

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“St Kilda, we can tell you, has formally offered its contract to Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera,” Clark began on Fox Footy’s Super Saturday Live.

“It’s a two-year deal worth about $1.2 million-plus (per) season. But this is choose-your-own-adventure. He can stay for up to eight or 10 years of he likes, but it’s a two-year minimum.

“Importantly, it matches the money on offer at Adelaide and Port Adelaide.”

Clark said the Saints were banking on Wanganeen-Milera’s “strong ties” at Moorabbin to secure his signature.

“St Kilda very happy that his strong ties with the coach Ross Lyon and his teammates will keep him there at Moorabbin,” he continued.

“But he has taken some time to think about it. What has probably been lost in this conversation, so far, is if he did request a trade, it would be very hard to (pull off).

“Because, if Melbourne wanted three first-round picks for Kysaiah Pickett before he re-signed, St Kilda would also want the world for Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. And Port Adelaide, who we thought were the front-runners, don’t have a first-round pick.

“So, I would say it’s looking towards (him) staying at St Kilda on good money at this stage ... $1.2 million a year, plus incentives, etcetera, which makes him one of the top highest-paid players in the competition.”

The Crows at present have one first-rounder, but as they charge to September this season, it’s set to be a later pick.

Speaking post-game on Saturday night, when asked whether he had a sense of whether Wanganeen-Milera would stay at Moorabbin in 2026, a coy Lyon responded: “I don’t know. I don’t know. Noted, though. Noted.”

Lyon did, though, shed some light on his “long-term plan” to make Wanganeen-Milera a player in the mould of Adelaide legend Andrew McLeod.

“I thought he was electric in the midfield in the last quarter,” Lyon said.

“We did it early, he wasn’t quite conditioned for it, his groins and that got a bit sore.

“We know what we’re building. Andrew McLeod was used half-back, midfield, forward when he won his Norm Smith.

“So we know he (Wanganeen-Milera) has 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.”

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