He remained authentic, as unaffected as he was when I interacted with him and a bunch of other Indigenous youngsters while he emerged through player pathways in South Australia, such as the Tjindu Foundation and the AIS-AFL Academy.
Brad Hill has been a great support as Wanganeen-Milera’s thrilled the crowdsCredit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
It was cool to see.
He was respectful and grateful for our help but with all the cheek you’d expect from a youngster who has become capable of dominating AFL games wearing St Kilda’s No.7, a number many St Kilda fans associate with favourite sons Lenny Hayes and Nicky Winmar.
Like many others, I thought Wanganeen-Milera would head back to South Australia at the end of the season. His family ties are strong and my nephew, Port Adelaide’s Jase Burgoyne, is one of his best friends.
There were even plans being considered as to where he might live upon his return, whether he joined the Crows or Port Adelaide, and many close to him were looking forward to having him nearby.
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But the decision was his. Somehow, he played at an elite level while weighing up his future – a feat Gary Ablett Jr and Chris Judd managed in the years they changed clubs and Dustin Martin also achieved in 2017 when he was targeted by North Melbourne.
I was so proud it was a young Indigenous gun in Wanganeen-Milera who has led the way in reminding us that loyalty to his club, his teammates, and those who have helped develop him still means something.
It also restores fans’ faith in the national draft. They can believe recruiting the best talent from anywhere in the country is worth doing, like the Saints did when they chose Wanganeen-Milera with pick 11 in 2021. At the end of 2027, his time at the Saints will be six years. He will have given them a fair run to get going, and he can then make an even more informed decision about his future.
I know he is the game’s first $2 million man, but he could have received a similar amount in his home state. Instead, he backed himself in with a two-year deal at the club which drafted him rather than a guaranteed lifetime of career earnings somewhere else.
I shouldn’t have been surprised– his decision was consistent with his personality.
He has combined resilience, grit, talent and hard work to develop from being an outstanding junior player who kicked a goal in Glenelg’s reserves flag in 2021 to a Saints’ hero who can win games off his own boot. He was always a smooth mover, a glider who had time and space and a quiet confidence.
It’s a credit to his teammates, who have made him feel so connected,as well as my old Cats’ teammate Corey Enright, who was in the room with Brad Hill when Wanganeen-Milera broke the good news to his coach Ross Lyon.
You can bet your bottom dollar that Lyon has invested time and energy into developing Wanganeen-Milera from the moment he walked in the door. If the coach had only started to take an interest at contract time, I am certain Wanganeen-Milera would have left.
Hill has been critical, too, as he gives Wanganeen-Milera confidence that someone is in his corner inside the club. A great player, Hill is also a good teammate who the coaches know has the best interests of Indigenous players who join the club. It can’t be understated how important a voice Hill would be for that group.
His relationship with Lyon has been strong for many years, and he is likely to have helped foster trust between the coach and Wanganeen-Milera, a bond Lyon can create with many players even if, let’s face it, his style is not for everyone.
I also know what Enright was like in the locker room. The boy from Kimba could relate to players who didn’t come through the traditional private school pathways better than most.
I suspect that skill would have transferred to his coaching. It’s no surprise to me that Wanganeen-Milera recognised Enright’s contribution by inviting him into the room when he told Lyon his decision. He is in good hands.
A different call may have torn that club apart, but you know by the way he played this year his decision was made with positive intent rather than because he didn’t want to let anyone down.
If all that sounds a little over the top, it’s a nice change for all of us from some of the other big stories which have been less positive about a few Indigenous stars lately. Those stories dominate headlines and can sometimes overshadow the great achievements of others such as Wanganeen-Milera.
And now Saints fans get to enjoy a young for another couple of years at least, and we can bask in Wanganeen-Milera’s loyalty knowing he was telling the truth and performing to his best every time he gave Saints fans hope for the future during 2025.
Mathew Stokes is a Larrakia man who played 200 games with Geelong and Essendon. He played in Geelong’s 2007 and 2011 premiership teams.