Written by Megan Taylor, Sports reporter, covering international sports since 2020

The Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera St Kilda performance has come under scrutiny after the Saints’ 13 point loss to Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday, with former AFL premiership player Jordan Lewis raising concerns about the midfielder’s defensive work rate. Wanganeen-Milera spent large portions of the match playing forward while being closely followed by Melbourne’s Koltyn Tholstrup. While the 23 year old finished with 18 disposals and three goals, several moments highlighted during post match analysis raised questions about his positioning and defensive involvement. The discussion has added another layer to St Kilda’s disappointing defeat, particularly after Melbourne surged ahead in the final quarter.

St Kilda stayed competitive for most of the contest before Melbourne pulled away late at the MCG. The Saints’ structure looked vulnerable during transition as the Demons moved the ball quickly through the midfield. As pressure increased in the final term, Melbourne were able to capitalise on space inside their forward half.

For more AFL discussion around player roles and team pressure, see our analysis of Zach Merrett’s role at Essendon.

Jordan Lewis Highlights Defensive Concerns

Fox Footy analyst Jordan Lewis reviewed several pieces of match vision and questioned Wanganeen-Milera’s defensive involvement during key passages.

“I left the game (on Sunday) … and I just left thinking ‘Is it system? Or is it selfishness?’ In terms of the way that he plays,” Lewis began on Fox Footy’s On the Couch.

“There are a lot of sides that cover for centre-forward players, I get that … So then I had to confirm in my own head today what I was seeing, and it was pretty damning, if I’m honest, to watch him run around and suffer in silence.”

Lewis pointed to moments where Wanganeen-Milera drifted forward to become an additional attacker rather than staying connected defensively.

“I haven’t seen that system with any other team, in terms of where they play,” Lewis said.

Film Vision Shows Key Moments

Several examples highlighted during the analysis showed Melbourne gaining ground through quick transitions.

In one sequence, Wanganeen-Milera appeared slow to react as Tholstrup moved into open space. Melbourne quickly shifted the ball forward from that moment, creating an attacking opportunity.

Another clip showed the St Kilda midfielder allowing Tholstrup to mark inside 50 with limited pressure. These moments contributed to Melbourne building attacking momentum late in the game.

Lewis said a particularly telling moment occurred when Wanganeen-Milera reacted angrily after not receiving a pass.

“This one was quite damning … he was clearly frustrated, calling for the ball, he’s got a tagger right on his backside, he turns around to spray his midfielder (Flanders),” Lewis said.

“And I can tell you, there were about seven or eight more clips that we left on the table … I think he’s clearly a great player with ball in hand, but he’s a player that goes hard forward and stays forward. He doesn’t re-engage on defence.

“For me, I think he’s suffering in silence at the moment. His communication is nonexistent, which doesn’t tell everyone else what he’s doing, and that happens in general play and at stoppages as well.”

Buckley Suggests Tactical Explanation

Former AFL coach Nathan Buckley suggested Wanganeen-Milera may simply be carrying out tactical instructions from St Kilda’s coaching staff.

“I think there’s a very real possibility that he’s just following instructions on what part of the field his coach wants him,” Buckley said.

“I also think that there’s a very real possibility that he’s struggling to deal with the attention - both off field and on field.”

Melbourne’s Koltyn Tholstrup played a disciplined tagging role during the match, limiting Wanganeen-Milera’s freedom around stoppages.

Ross Lyon Explains Role Change

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon addressed the situation after the match, explaining that Wanganeen-Milera had freedom to move across the ground during the contest.

“It was really simple — (Wanganeen-Milera) had a licence to go anywhere. He was getting tagged, so you just put (pressure) on a tag and you open up your forward line,” Lyon said after the game.

“I said, ‘mate, you can go and take a kick-in, you can go behind the ball, you can go to the stoppage or you can go (to the bench).

“Sometimes you’ve got to let them drive the car … but it’s a steep learning curve … I wouldn’t have thought he’s walked off distraught. He’s got 15 (disposals) and three goals.”

The Saints coach was also questioned about his decision to keep Wanganeen-Milera on the bench for six minutes during the final quarter.

During that period, the midfielder attended just one of the seven centre square stoppages as St Kilda tried to close the gap.

What the Result Means for St Kilda

St Kilda will now look to regroup after the narrow loss, particularly after Melbourne’s strong finish exposed gaps in the Saints’ defensive structure.

Wanganeen-Milera remains one of the club’s most talented players with ball in hand, and his ability to influence matches going forward will continue to be central to St Kilda’s season.

However, the analysis of Sunday’s match highlights the importance of balancing attacking creativity with defensive accountability in modern AFL midfield play.