The huge Nas decision that will dominate 2027

Even when St Kilda gun Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera signed on for two more years in 2025, it was inevitable that it would be only a matter of time before his contract situation was back in the spotlight.

With just 12 months left on Wanganeen-Milera’s contract and the 2026 Trade Period done and dusted, the focus has shifted on to ‘Nas’ and whether he’ll be at the Saints beyond 2027.

Adam Cooney and Cam Luke discussed the situation on SEN Sportsday.

Cooney: “Potentially Nas, Jack Sinclair, and Max Hall next year are going to be big topics of discussion if they're all linked to other clubs.

“I mean if the Saints finish 10th or if they finish 11th then Ross Lyon is probably gone, and they might lose Nas and maybe one other star, so let's pray that the Saints have a good year next year.”

Luke: “When Nas re-signed that two-year deal, Ross again put it on the agenda, ‘it's up to us as a football club to prove that the best place for him going forward is St Kilda’.

“Now 12 months into that contract, I don't sit here and suggest there's anything that would suggest that Nas is not liking St Kilda and thinking they're going in a direction that he would like, but every club's going to come for him.

"...but if we get to Round 18 or Round 19 again next year, like we did last year and Nas still hasn't signed on the dotted line, there'll be a lot of nervous Saint Kilda fans.”

Cooney: “Are the Saints going to have to pay him another $2 million contract?"

Luke: “I don't think they can.”

Cooney: “But other clubs are going to come for money around that. Like, so what do they do?"

Luke: “I don't know the answer to that.

“The Saints clearly spent a lot of money last year, but they're smart, they know what they're doing.

“(For other clubs), if you've been into a high-priced free agent in recent times and you didn't land him you’ve probably got (the cash).

"It's going to have to be a hefty price tag.

“The Saints just can't lose a player like Wanganeen-Milera.”

Cooney: “I mean he's just so versatile and everyone loves watching him play.

“He turns a kick in into a 120 metre play. He does it regularly, so he can play full forward, he can run off halfback, he can play on a wing, he can play inside, he's pretty much the most versatile player."

Luke: “But he goes forward as well, he has the ability to hit the scoreboard to break that tag.”

Cooney: “That’s why he's so hard to tag because he can go in there, and he's got the licence to do whatever he pleases.

“Did he play to his price tag this year?”

Luke: “We've never had a $2 million player before, so it's hard to work out.

“I think that his year last year (2025) was marginally better, but I also think the expectations on what we expected, not necessarily on the price tag, but what he was able to do last year probably raises what we expect from him week in, week out.

“That North Melbourne game (in Round 20) was poised 50/50, and then he ripped the joint apart and he ends up with 46 disposals and 4 goals.”

Speculation will continue to grow as 2027 approaches with the future of Wanganeen-Milera set to be a major talking point with huge ramifications for the Saints whether he chooses to stay or leave.