Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera signs two-year extension with St Kilda, rejecting Port Adelaide and Adelaide

Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera has rejected a return to South Australia by re-signing with St Kilda on a lucrative two-year extension.

The 22-year-old, who is a South Australian native, was heavily courted by both Adelaide and Port Adelaide, but has chosen to remain a Saint on a deal that is reportedly set to see him become the first AFL player to earn $2 million in a single season.

Wanganeen-Milera has become one of the AFL's premier players this season, averaging a career-best 30.2 disposals per contest in 22 appearances, and is in line to be named to the first All-Australian team of his career.

"From the moment I arrived at St Kilda, the staff and my teammates have supported me in every way, not just to be a better footballer, but a better person," Wanganeen-Milera said in a statement on Monday.

Wanganeen-Milera is line to be named to the first All-Australian team of his career after a sensational individual season. (Getty Images: James Wiltshire)

"I know how special it is to pull on the red, white and black. Every time I run out, I'm representing my family, my culture and this club. That means everything to me.

"I've still got so much I want to improve in my game, and I know this is the right place for me to keep growing. I've got great people around me who push me to be better every day.

"I want to help create something long-lasting here. We've got a tight group and a clear direction, and I'm proud to be part of building that future."

Wanganeen-Milera is the eighth St Kilda player to re-sign with the club this year, joining Mitchito Owens, Jack Higgins, Hunter Clark, Hugo Garcia, Angus Hastie, Max Hall and Hugh Boxshall.

Along with his career-high disposals average, Wanganeen-Milera is currently the league leader in kicks and metres gained.

A massive win for not only St Kilda, but the AFL's quest for parity

At a time when there are serious concerns about the league's competitive balance, the Wanganeen-Milera extension is a massive win for not only St Kilda but the AFL.

A combination of factors — the father-son rule, differences in asset management and academies — have seen a worrying gap develop between the league's best and worst teams, resulting in some lop-sided contests to end the home and away season.

To tag or not to tag? The decision that sparked the greatest comeback in AFL history Photo shows Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera celebrates a goal St Kilda's comeback win over Melbourne will go down in Saints folklore, but it wouldn't have been possible without one strategic move that again highlighted the complicated role of the tagger in modern footy.

Despite Wanganeen-Milera's individual brilliance, the Saints have only mustered up nine wins so far this season, currently sitting 11th on the AFL ladder. The 20-point gap between the Saints and the ninth-placed Gold Coast Suns highlights the parity problem the AFL is grappling with.

St Kilda has been as vocal as any other club about abolishing rules such as the iconic father-son, and simply could not afford to lose Wanganeen-Milera to a rival, given he is the crown jewel of the club's current build under Ross Lyon.

Wanganeen-Milera leaving St Kilda for the ladder-leading Adelaide would have been a devastating blow to the AFL's hopes of having a competitive league.

Even if the Saints netted a monster trade bounty from either the Crows or Port Adelaide, history shows more often than not, the team that gets the best player in the trade often ends up winning it handily.

The goal-kicking midfielder is arguably the most sought-after player prototype across the entire competition, and Wanganeen-Milera is as good as they come.

After coming into the league as a silky ball-user who played predominantly at halfback or on the wing, Wanganeen-Milera has become a full-time midfielder this year with devastating effect.

Losing Wanganeen-Milera to a rival had the potential to doom St Kilda's laborious build under veteran coach Ross Lyon. (AAP: Joel Carrett)

Wanganeen-Milera attended just 12 centre bounces last year, but has seen that number rise to 130 this season. It is an area where his explosive speed and elite ball use make him a deadly weapon in the Saints' forward half.

Wanganeen-Milera's decision to recommit is a major feather in the cap for Lyon, whose results have been middling in his third season since returning to coach St Kilda.

But Lyon now has a legitimate star pillar who he can build his side around. The lure of playing alongside Wanganeen-Milera is also likely to be an attractive sales pitch to potential recruits in the coming years.

"Nasiah's commitment to the club is a strong vote of confidence in not only the culture we've built, but in the future we're creating both on and off the field," St Kilda football boss David Misson said in a statement.

"Nas is a well-loved and deeply connected member of our team. His decision to stay is brilliant news for the entire footy club, from the playing group to our loyal supporters.

"He's an incredibly exciting and talented footballer, and we're thrilled to watch him continue to develop as an integral part of our club."

St Kilda shouldn't get complacent, having gotten Wanganeen-Milera to re-commit, because the hard work really starts now.

The length of the deal essentially gives the club a two-year window to convince him that he should tie his entire prime to them.

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Given Wanganeen-Milera will be just 25 years old when his new extension expires, there is absolutely no certainty that he will commit all of his best years to St Kilda.

That will largely be determined by how the club performs over the next two seasons, and what moves the Saints pull off to build around Wanganeen-Milera.

St Kilda has been a team largely devoid of star power since the heyday of the Nick Riewoldt era in Lyon's first tenure at the club.

Now they've got Nasiah tied down for a couple of years, it's time to build something proper around him.

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