Latest news with #WanganeenMilera
The Australian
a day ago
- Sport
- The Australian
AFL 2025: Treatment of Adelaide Crows' Taylor Walker called out
Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks has called out the 'unfair' treatment of veteran forward Taylor Walker after he was caught up in unsubstantiated claims alleging St Kilda's Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera had ruled out moving to the club due to a historical racism incident. Reports early in the week suggested Wanganeen-Milera, who is off contract at the Saints and being courted by both South Australian clubs, had ruled out the Crows because of Walker's indiscretion in 2021. The former Adelaide captain was given a six-match ban and a $20,000 sanction after being overheard making a racist comment at a SANFL match. But both Wanganeen-Milera's manager and the player vehemently denied the report, with Walker also reaching out to seek clarification, which was given to him. In the wake of the fallout, Nicks said he was proud of how Walker handled the situation, his growth since the 2021 incident, and lashed the way it was played out, calling out a 'lack of accountability' in contract speculation. 'I didn't like the way it played out at all. I think it was unfair to a lot of people,' Nicks said. Taylor Walker has Matthew Nicks in his corner. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images 'But no, I didn't get any more involved than checking in with Taylor, for example, to make sure he knows I'm proud of what he's done since an unacceptable moment four years ago. 'He's done a lot of work on educating himself, probably more than anyone at the footy club. But our whole footy club has improved off the back of that (incident). 'I'd prefer not to talk further on it because it's not something I've got involved in, other than touching base with one or two people.' Nicks wouldn't be drawn on whether the club was chasing Wanganeen-Milera, who could be in line for a seven-figure payday for his new deal. 'We don't talk about players from other footy clubs,' Nicks said. 'It's something we've shown a lot of respect around over the years. It's just not a space we go into.' But Nicks conceded talk around contracts was hard to avoid and 'part of the deal' for players. Read related topics: Adelaide
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon suggests local media frenzy over Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera in Adelaide could impact his contract decision
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon is adamant he's 'not losing any sleep' over the looming decision from off-contract star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera after a personal trip to Adelaide in which he was 'terrorised twice' by local media. The South Australian-born 22-year-old, who is bound for All-Australian selection in 2025, is believed to be at the centre of a bidding war between Adelaide and Port Adelaide, with the Saints also hopeful of hanging on to him. His manager, Ben Williams, denied a report suggesting Wanganeen-Milera wouldn't join the Crows due to a racism incident involving former Adelaide captain Taylor Walker in 2021. Wanganeen-Milera has close links with Port players, including Jason Horne-Francis, and the pair were spotted together at a frozen yoghurt shop in Adelaide where Wanganeen-Milera spent the bye week catching up with 'fam' according to Lyon. While there have been reports that Wanganeen-Milera, who has played 75 games with the Saints since his debut in 2022, has issues living in Melbourne, Lyon said the 'melting pot' in Adelaide, which included TV cameras following the young gun at the airport, showed what life could be like if he moved. 'What's interesting is the environment over there,' Lyon said on Tuesday. 'He's been doorstopped twice and terrorised twice (by media). It talks to the intensity over there, getting doorstopped at the airport during the bye. It's interesting how a non-story becomes a story. Clearly it's good to have competitive tension.' Lyon said the Saints were confident the development and support Wanganeen-Milera had been offered at St Kilda and their plans to be a 'great club' were the best way to ensure he remained on a deal that could reach seven figures annually. 'Build it and they will come. Develop our players, support them, make it a safe environment and then at the end of the day you are either good enough to keep them or you're not,' he said. 'I'm not losing too much sleep over it. 'We want to make St Kilda great. We've got a lot of hard work to do over a long period of time.' Lyon was also unmoved by the catch-up with Horne-Francis, a fellow Indigenous star, adamant St Kilda did a lot of work for its own First Nations players. 'The brother boys, they love getting together,' he said. 'We've got Pauly Vandenbergh (AFL diversity pathways manager) coming into the club today who works closely with our First Nations players. 'That's just one aspect of the game.' The Saints will tackle the Western Bulldogs on Thursday night just 52 days after copping a 71-point smashing in round 6. Midfielder Jack Macrae is set to push for selection against his old team after recovering from a punctured lung.
