Latest news with #Wanganeen-Milera

The Age
a day ago
- Sport
- The Age
Anatomy of a Saints heist: How the Demons' history-making horror show unfolded
In the early seconds of the final quarter, St Kilda's Jack Higgins got on the end of a pass from Max Hall. The small forward marked easily with no opponent really close to him; he shouldn't have been given so much space. He went back and from an angle of about 35 degrees slotted a nice goal from the right forward pocket. That cut the margin to 40 points with plenty of time left. But no one would have predicted what was to come. 'Higgins has been a bit of a ray of sunshine on a dark day for the Saints,' reflected commentator Alister Nicholson on Channel Seven. CLASSIC COOPER 6:16 elapsed (16.05 minutes left) A very good goal from a quality and rapid-fire centre clearance. Less than a minute after Bradley Hill snatched a goal from a tight angle, the Saints got another one. Hall took possession from the bounce, gave a sharp handball to Wanganeen-Milera who, in turn, offloaded to Zak Jones. Jones booted into the forward line where Cooper Sharman showed great ground-level ability to spin onto his left boot and kick it through. The margin was cut to 28 points with more than 16 minutes of game time to come; the Saints were well and truly in the hunt. A CONTENTIOUS PENALTY 22:57 elapsed (4.16 minutes left) Wanganeen-Milera stormed out of the centre and pinpointed a pass to Higgins. But was the kick touched by Harvey Langford before landing in Higgins' arms? The umpire didn't think so, paying the mark, and Higgins got a 50-metre penalty after being slung to the ground by Judd McVee. The Melbourne players desperately pleaded with the umpires, allowing Higgins to play on and run into an open goal. The Saints again had scored two goals in about a minute of play, this time cutting the margin to five points. 'I reckon the ball was touched, guys,' Nick Riewoldt said in commentary on Seven. 'I reckon it was touched coming in.' In any case, the umpires didn't pay it. Game on. DEES MISS A CHANCE TO SEAL IT (1.58 minutes left) Melbourne led by six points with little more than two minutes to play. All they needed was another score to virtually secure the win, and Clayton Oliver had the opportunity. A goal would force St Kilda to score twice to even level the scores; even a point would require two goals from the Saints to win. But the Demons midfielder couldn't deliver and his dodgy kick went out on the full. It was a horrible miss. To his credit, after Oliver handballed to Charlie Spargo (who dropped the ball), the Demon did do well to reclaim it, but he squandered his scoring chance. Where was his left foot? A free kick to St Kilda from deep in defence was the result. The moment symbolised a lack of composure for the dispirited Demons. EPIC MARK AND GOAL 29:50 elapsed (55 seconds left) It will be a mark that's replayed for years to come. An excellent left-foot kick from Mason Wood running down the wing (after a handball from Marcus Windhager) set up the moment for Wanganeen-Milera, who took his chance like few others would have done. The hottest talent in the game, who's weighing up whether to find a home away from Moorabbin next season, Wanganeen-Milera climbed over Bayley Fritsch (who crashed to the turf) and in front of McVee. The Saint took the mark with one grab, sending the crowd into raptures. How about Ross Lyon's reaction in the box! The veteran coach could barely contain his joy. But the Saint still had to kick the goal. And he did. The out-and-out AFL star went back and showed brilliant composure to split the big sticks. Scores level. The clock ticked down as he approached his shot at goal, leaving eight seconds before the final siren – and with a final centre bounce to come. THE DEMON NUMBER: A 6-6-6 HORROR SHOW (Eight seconds left) At the resumption, a nightmare for the Demons. With only Max Gawn, Christian Petracca and Kysaiah Pickett in the centre square, they had made the mistake of having seven forwards. Free kick St Kilda, for the 6-6-6 infringement. 'We had seven forwards, and two wingers,' coach Simon Goodwin confirmed later. 'It's a pretty simple process to get right. We'll have a look at why it happened, how it happened and make sure that never happens again.' The last centre bounce killed the Demons when it should have been the set-up they wanted The final seconds that killed Melbourne should have been the simplest part of what was to unfold. They just had to have six players in each of the three segments of the ground. Given the scores were level and so not a moment requiring all-or-nothing attack or defence, it should have not just been the rule requiring six players in each zone of the ground, it should have been the obvious plan for how they would want to be set up. Melbourne couldn't get that right. The Demons had seven players inside their forward 50 arc and only three players - Gawn, Petracca and Pickett - in the centre square and two wingers. They also had lots of finger-pointing and yelling. While Melbourne were arguing over who was in the wrong spot and trying to hastily move players, St Kilda's mids were huddled together contriving an NFL-style play for these vital eight seconds on the clock. Having already been warned for 6-6-6 earlier in the game, now, at the most important moment of the match, it was an immediate penalty against the Demons. Knowing it was a free kick, Melbourne players started streaming to the back line. Confusion continued because the umpire calmly, and rightly by the rules, demanded the players return to an official, orthodox set-up before the free kick could be taken. By the time the kick was taken by Rowan Marshall, the Saints had a plan, and Melbourne had panic. St Kilda got all of their forwards to move to the right side of the ground and their wingman run wide to the left to drag Demons defenders with them and so open a corridor on the left-hand side (as you face the attacking goal). Wanganeen-Milera sprinted into this corridor and the kick, like a perfect five iron to the green, found him just inside 50. Once he'd marked the ball, the game was effectively done. -Michael Gleeson Amid the confusion, wise heads and flustered minds could be seen. Having called the 6-6-6 breach, the field umpire asked for players to get to their positions before the Saints could be given the free kick. In this time St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall and Wanganeen-Milera hatched a perfect plan to find a score. Gawn could be seen signalling to Jack Viney on the wing to come into the centre. But the damage had already been done. In complete contrast, the St Kilda unit showed composure as big man Marshall prepared to take the free kick. Once the umpire signalled time on again, Wanganeen-Milera ran strongly out of the centre into space on the forward flank. Marshall found him with a beautifully weighted kick. The Saint had too much time as Viney desperately tried to get to him. Wanganeen-Milera marked the ball comfortably with five seconds left, and took his set shot from about 40m out and after the siren. All he needed was a point to complete the heist; he kicked a goal anyway. Delirium. Pandemonium. Saints win by six points. Petracca looked stoney-faced. The Demons were left to ponder: what the hell just happened? Melbourne coach Goodwin was left gobsmacked. 'Late in the game we didn't handle the pressure, we didn't handle the moment, and we didn't handle the tight game scenarios like we should have, and that's on all of us,' he said. 'We'll own that together.' Lyon was delighted that his players prospered rather than panicked. 'That's why senior on-field leadership has never been more paramount,' he said later.

Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Mega offers flow for Wanganeen-Milera as bidding war heats up
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. 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.

The Age
a day ago
- Business
- The Age
Mega offers flow for Wanganeen-Milera as bidding war heats up
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. 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.


Perth Now
2 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Marshall quizzed on future amid Saints' De Koning chase
St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall would welcome Tom De Koning's arrival from Carlton but is keeping his cards close to his chest on what it would mean for his own future. Marshall was critical to the Saints' record-breaking comeback victory over Melbourne on Sunday, linking with superstar Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera to set up the decisive goal. Wanganeen-Milera's stocks soared on the back of his match-winning display, as the out-of-contract playmaker weighs up huge interest from his home state of South Australia. The Saints will miss the finals for the second straight season and are desperately seeking to improve their list. Whether or not they retain Wanganeen-Milera and lure restricted free agent De Koning from the Blues will have a huge impact on their prospects for 2026 and beyond. Marshall, 29, is contracted to St Kilda until the end of 2027, but the club's pursuit of ruck-forward De Koning has cast a shadow over the incumbent's future. "Obviously he's a great player, so I guess whatever's going to make us better," Marshall said on Monday. "That's what we're trying to do and he'll make us a better team." Pressed on his own future, Marshall was tight-lipped. "This is going to sound so cliche, but I haven't really given it too much thought," Marshall said. "There's four games left and I'm employed by the St Kilda Football Club to rock up each week and perform. "That's just my sole focus at the minute. "My last two or three weeks have been pretty disappointing individually, so I just want to finish the season well with a strong patch of form and go into next year." Marshall has played as a sole ruckman for most of this year and said he wasn't fussed about whether he continued in that role, amid the prospect of a partnership with De Koning. "As long as we're winning games I don't really care," Marshall said. St Kilda have a poor 6-13 win-loss record this year, but are riding high after producing the greatest last-quarter comeback in AFL/VFL history against Melbourne - from 46 points down - to ultimately win by six. Wanganeen-Milera was the hero with 34 disposals and four goals, including two in the final 15 seconds. The 22-year-old star quickly hashed out a plan for the match-winning play with Marshall and Marcus Windhager while Melbourne were caught up in confusion around a 6-6-6 free kick in the dying seconds. "As soon as I got the ball I saw a bit of space and luckily enough the kick came off," Marshall said. "Nas went back with the flight of the footy, it was pretty courageous and I guess the rest is history." This is ESSENTIAL viewing 🍿Watch every goal of St Kilda's 46-point comeback, the greatest three-quarter time deficit overcome in V/AFL history.#AFLSaintsDees AFL (@AFL) July 28, 2025 Footage has since emerged from St Kilda's post-match function at the Hotel Brighton, where coach Ross Lyon hoisted Wanganeen-Milera onto his shoulders in jubilant scenes. "I think Ross tried to get me on his shoulders but I was too heavy," Marshall said. "Nas is a bit lighter. It was good fun." Marshall said the "crazy" win had not sunk in yet, with St Kilda needing to refocus ahead of their match against North Melbourne on Sunday. "The first three quarters were pretty garbage from us and it was disappointing but I think that last quarter just shows what we can do," Marshall said. "It was awesome. I didn't think it was possible until it was probably three goals down and I looked up at the scoreboard and I thought, 'Geez we're in this.' "Then, sure enough, Nas turned it on and it was a crazy finish."


West Australian
2 days ago
- Sport
- West Australian
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon carries Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera on his shoulders after Melbourne heroics
Not even the usually bristly Ross Lyon could contain himself as the St Kilda coach partied hard with match-winning star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera after their historic comeback against Melbourne. The Saints stunned the Demons to overturn the biggest-ever fourth-quarter deficit in AFL/VFL history, erasing a 46-point margin at the final break to win after the siren on Sunday. At the centre of it was Wanganeen-Milera, who kicked the last two goals of the game inside 55 seconds, to finish his night with four goals and 34 touches. In a post-match function at Hotel Brighton, Lyon is seen holding Wanganeen-Milera up on his shoulders as they danced to blasting music, as his Saints teammates cheered. Lyon said a win like that can be something the club can build their brand around, despite another season stuck in the lower mid-table. 'At the end of the day, it's four points ... get a bit of belief and we all get together (tonight),' Lyon said. 'We're trying to build out the mortar of the club, we've got a family function at a hotel - we're all getting there. 'We'll enjoy each other's company but the stone-cold reality is in 24 hours you're preparing and it just keeps coming at you. 'But we did talk about the joy at half-time of playing footy, don't let it get you down. As a kid, you'd love to be here. We just dive into that space. 'Just the joy of playing football, let alone AFL football.' However, it remains to be seen if Wanganeen-Milera will stay a part of that club brand with the 22-year-old out of contract for next year. The Saints have offered a $1.4 million deal over the next two seasons, but Port Adelaide and Adelaide are reportedly coming hard for the South Australian native. And his price tag is only going to increase as he puts together more match-winning performances.