| Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Wanganeen-Milera in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera | ||
| Date of birth | 22 February 2003 | ||
| Place of birth | South Australia | ||
| Original team(s) | Glenelg Football Club | ||
| Draft | No. 11, 2021 AFL draft | ||
| Debut | Round 1, 18 March 2022, St Kilda vs. Collingwood, at Docklands Stadium | ||
| Height | 187 cm (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Weight | 71 kg (157 lb) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | St Kilda | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2022– | St Kilda | 82 (21) | |
| Representative team honours | |||
| Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
| 2025 | Indigenous All-Stars | 1 (0) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 20, 2025. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (born 22 February 2003) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted in the 2021 AFL draft at pick number 11 overall.
Early life
[edit]He is the nephew of former Port Adelaide and Essendon legend Gavin Wanganeen, and the step son of former St Kilda player Terry Milera.[1] His biological father is former North Melbourne player Eddie Sansbury.[2]
In his draft year of 2021, Wanganeen-Milera played for grand finalists Glenelg in the SANFL, playing four games in the seniors and the remainder in the reserves. He averaged 15.8 disposals, 3.9 marks, 2.5 tackles and 2.4 inside 50s in 13 games for the reserves side. In his four senior games he averaged 11 disposals and three marks.[3] Wanganeen-Milera helped the Tigers reserves claim the Reserves premiership, kicking a goal and gathering 19 touches in the Grand Final win over Central Districts.[4] Wanganeen-Milera was also selected for the NAB AFL Academy team as well as the South Australian U18 team to compete at the National Championships. He was part of Port Adelaide's Indigenous Academy team.
AFL career
[edit]Wanganeen-Milera was selected with St Kilda's first pick in the 2021 AFL draft, at number 11 overall.[5] Wanganeen-Milera made his debut in round 1, 2022 against Collingwood, but did not take the field as an unused medical substitute. He made his on-field debut a week later against Fremantle, having 13 disposals.
Taken under the wing of St Kilda assistant coach Corey Enright, Wanganeen-Milera developed into a hard-working defender who would transition into the midfield.[6]
Wanganeen-Milera kicked the last two goals in St Kilda's famous come-from-behind victory against Melbourne in round 20, 2025. St Kilda had come back from a VFL/AFL record 46-point three-quarter time deficit to trail by only six points, before Wanganeen-Milera took a high mark and kicked the equalising goal with eight seconds remaining; then, Melbourne conceded a free kick at the ensuing centre bounce for a 6–6–6 infringement, and St Kilda quickly kicked forward to Wanganeen-Milera, who marked and kicked the winning goal after the siren.[7]
Out of contract and attracting interest and long-term offers from both clubs in his native South Australia, in August 2025 Wanganeen-Milera signed a two-year contract extension with St Kilda worth more than $2 million per year, setting a new record for the highest per-season wage of any player in VFL/AFL history.[8]
Statistics
[edit]- Statistics are correct to the end of 2024[9]
G
|
Goals | K
|
Kicks | D
|
Disposals | T
|
Tackles |
B
|
Behinds | H
|
Handballs | M
|
Marks |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
| 2022 | St Kilda | 7 | 17 | 1 | 6 | 166 | 65 | 231 | 82 | 32 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 9.8 | 3.8 | 13.6 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 0 |
| 2023 | St Kilda | 7 | 24 | 4 | 2 | 419 | 144 | 563 | 150 | 49 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 17.5 | 6.0 | 23.5 | 6.3 | 2.0 | 4 |
| 2024 | St Kilda | 7 | 22 | 1 | 7 | 436 | 129 | 565 | 146 | 38 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 19.8 | 5.9 | 25.7 | 6.6 | 1.7 | 8 |
| Career | 63 | 6 | 15 | 1021 | 338 | 1359 | 378 | 119 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 16.2 | 5.4 | 21.6 | 6.0 | 1.9 | 12 | ||
Notes
References
[edit]- ^ Mathieson, Andrew (8 April 2024). "Wanganeen-Milera embraces the pressure of footy world". National Indigenous Times. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
- ^ "New Roo has scalp of top-gun recruit". The Age. 27 November 2003. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
While it was Sansbury's first training run as an AFL footballer, the sudden shift to Melbourne from Adelaide meant he was away from his partner Rachael (the sister of Brownlow medallist Gavin Wanganeen) and his 10-month-old son, Nasiah, who will arrive in Melbourne after Christmas.
- ^ O'Carroll, Aidan (24 November 2021). "Draft profile: Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera". Zero Hanger. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ^ "Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera". Aussie Rules Rookie Me Central. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ^ "Wanganeen-Milera joins the Saints". saints.com.au. 24 November 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ^ Robinson, Mark (15 March 2024). "'Pure footballer': How Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera became one of St Kilda's leading lights". Herald-Sun. Melbourne, Victoria. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
- ^ Gemma Bastiani (27 July 2025). "Saints produce biggest comeback EVER to sink Dees after the siren". Australian Football League. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Could Nasiah be the AFL's first $3 million player?". SEN. 23 August 2025. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
- ^ "Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera". AFL Tables. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
External links
[edit]- Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera's profile on the official website of the St Kilda Football Club
- Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera at AustralianFootball.com
- Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera's playing statistics from AFL Tables
