Crunch meeting set to seal St Kilda star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera's fate as AFL contract call looms

7NEWS

5 days ago

St Kilda believe they have edged closer to securing a commitment from Carlton's Tom De Koning while a crunch meeting in the coming days will go a long way to settling Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera's future.
The Saints have been active once again in their pursuit of a high-profile recruit, with De Koning facing the ultimate test of cash versus loyalty.
He has received a monster $12 million, seven-year offer from St Kilda that would not be matched by the Blues.
But while they would celebrate poaching Carlton's ruckman there is every chance it will be a bittersweet trade period for the Saints.
Wanganeen-Milera has emerged as one of their leading lights but appears to be seriously considering a move home to South Australia.
'We still can't say with any certainty where he's going. St Kilda still very much believe they are in the box seat,' Caroline Wilson reported on Channel 7's The Agenda Setters.
'They'll know more in coming days.
'My understanding is there is going to be a meeting between the two camps in the coming days, certainly within a week. I think St Kilda will know a lot more then.'
Concrete plans for a sitdown is a shift from just a few weeks ago when the camps were still not set to meet.
Asked if the 22-year-old will now be delivering a decision, Wilson suggested it is not at that point but the direction of the conversation would be telling.
'If the manager's prepared to talk terms and money when they meet in the coming days — I assume he's meeting (list manager) Stephen Silvagni and (recruiting boss) Graeme Allen — then St Kilda will be pretty confident,' Wilson said.
'If he is not prepared to talk money and he's not prepared to talk terms then I think it will be pretty obvious he is going home to South Australia.'
Pressed on whether the Saints are 'clearly the frontrunner', Wilson said club bosses 'think they're in the box seat' to keep Wanganeen-Milera.
'But you know, they thought they were pretty confident of keeping Josh Battle, too, so they're keeping their powder dry,' she added of last year's loss of their key defender to Hawthorn.
'I think they're more confident of getting the big bloke from Carlton.
'I think Tom De Koning is 90 per cent now going to St Kilda and St Kilda are quite happy with the way those negotiations are going.
'They are rapt with Tom De Koning.'
De Koning turns 26 in July.