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Cornes: Can $2 million man Nasiah overcome the tag?
Harry Cumming • March 15th, 2026 2:00 pm
Having been well held by Collingwood’s Harry Perryman in Opening Round, St Kilda’s Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera will be looking to have a bigger impact against Melbourne in their Round 1 clash.
The midfielder who signed a two-year extension that was reportedly worth $2 million per year could only manage 19 disposals and a goal as the Saints went down by 12 points to the Pies.
The question has lingered all week as to whether new Melbourne coach Steven King will also send a tagger to ‘Nas’ to quell his influence on the game.
It’s raised a bigger issue which Kane Cornes has put in the spotlight on SEN’s Fireball.
“Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, you are in the gun. You're going to take your $2 million. We expect $2 million performances and what we had against Collingwood for the first time in his career, and it was always coming, was that he got significantly tagged,” Cornes said.
“Now, Steven King has said that he's not tagging him and we're going to back our system in.
“I would be absolutely shocked if someone doesn't go alongside Nasiah from start to finish of that game on Sunday, and how's he going to respond after taking the big cheque?
“So Nas, I'm sorry, you're in the gun. Get a kick.”
However, David King wasn’t so sure that the criticism was justified as he discussed Nas’ impact in Opening Round with Cornes.
King: “He was pretty good in the first half, wasn't he?”
Cornes: “Yeah, he was, he was good.”
King: “It’s an early in the gun.”
Cornes: “But then he resorted to going to halfback and taking kick-ins and turning one kick into three to pad the stats and get his numbers. I don't like that. I don't like that rubbish at all. Go and earn your football, impact the game.
“I know it's harsh because you need others to come with you and you're going to get the attention, but to Kenny Hinkley's point, if you think he's the number 1 Kenny, Nick Daicos has been getting tagged from minute one of his career right through until now and still impacting.”
The last time Wanganeen-Milera faced the Dees he etched himself into sporting folklore with two miraculous final minute goals as the Saints stormed home to set the V/AFL record for biggest comeback after three-quarter time.
Wanganeen-Milera will be starting at half-back this Sunday at 3:15pm against Melbourne at the MCG.
