Mega offers for Wanganeen-Milera as bidding gets hotter

Credit: Artists

The chase for Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera’s services is on, with Port Adelaide and Adelaide presenting the 22-year-old with a range of short- and long-term offers to consider as he prepares to make one of the most keenly anticipated decisions by an AFL player in the past decade.

The ante has been upped since the Saints’ midfielder’s form exploded mid-season and amid a changing player market, with Victorian clubs vying for West Coast’s emerging star Harley Reid.

Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera has become a star of the competition after a series of brilliant performances in 2025. Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

A number competition sources said Port Adelaide’s financial offer for Wanganeen-Milera would exceed that of the Crows, who sit second on the ladder with several stars in their line-up and poised to enter a premiership window. Both clubs, however, have presented Wanganeen-Milera with serious options that would secure his financial future.

The mega offers to Wanganeen-Milera from across the border present the 2021 No.10 draft pick with the chance to sign a short-term deal that would carry an option to later sign on for an extended period or lock in a longer-term deal from the start.

The Saints would be open to similar options, but if Wanganeen-Milera is to re-sign it’s expected it will only be on a deal lasting two years, not one that locks him to the club for an extended period. The Saints also have big offers in play to attract Carlton’s restricted free agent Tom De Koning and the Giants’ defender Leek Aleer.

The Saints have considerably upped their offer to Wanganeen-Milera. He now stands to earn more than $1.4 million per season if he stays at the club, where he has a good relationship with coach, Ross Lyon, and teammates.

However, he also has a strong pull of home and close friends from his time playing football in Adelaide, and he will not have to sacrifice any money if he decides to return home.

Reid’s asking price, meanwhile, is nudging $2 million per year as agents realise clubs have room to move because the collective bargaining agreement will drive their salary cap up to $18,148,376 per club in 2026.

Wanganeen-Milera’s form has exceeded Reid’s in 2025 as the game continues to favour an inside-outside player with speed who can use the ball. It has also exceeded the expectations of most football watchers. He entered the season as a promising rebounding defender who had kicked six goals in 63 games, but has now kicked six goals in the past two matches to have 17 for the season as he has evolved into an explosive and damaging midfielder.

Both Wanganeen-Milera and Reid are considered game-changers, who could help transform whatever club they play for in the next decade.

Wanganeen-Milera’s decision to concentrate on football rather than sign an extension with the Saints before the end of the season is paying off as the market for young talent becomes inflated and his price rises. He has shown no indication as to what he wants to do next season nor has it affected his performance in any way.

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