Wayne Milera

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Wayne Milera
Wayne Milera 2019.1.jpg
Milera in June 2019
Personal information
Full name Wayne Milera
Date of birth (1997-09-14) 14 September 1997 (age 27)
Original team(s) Central District (SANFL)
Draft No. 11, 2015 national draft
Debut Round 1, 2016, Adelaide  vs. North Melbourne, at Etihad Stadium
Height 184 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 86 kg (190 lb)
Position(s) Defender
Club information
Current club Adelaide
Number 30
Playing career1
YearsClubGames (Goals)
2016– Adelaide 99 (29)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2024.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Wayne Milera (born 14 September 1997) is a professional Australian rules football player who plays for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by Adelaide with pick 11 in the 2015 national draft. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life

Of Gunditjmara and Narangga indigenous descent and raised in Adelaide, South Australia, [3] Milera began playing junior football with Ingle Farm Football Club in Ingle Farm, South Australia. Milera was drafted from Central District in the SANFL, having played 11 senior games for the season, including two finals. He also played all six games for South Australia at the Under 18 National Championships. Milera was part of Port Adelaide's Indigenous AFL Academy. [4] During the year he was diagnosed with Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome after completing ECG and cardiac tests with the South Australian Under-18 program and underwent heart surgery. Just a week later he kicked 3 goals in a semi-final to help Centrals to a thrilling win. [1]

AFL career

Milera debuted in round 1, 2016 against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium. After playing in the opening four rounds of his debut season Milera suffered an injury and missed the next three rounds. He returned in round eight against Geelong and then in round nine against Gold Coast, Milera kicked three goals.

After the round 10, 2017 match against Fremantle, in which Milera recorded sixteen disposals, four tackles and three goals, he was the round nominee for the AFL Rising Star. [5] Despite playing in 24 games across his first two seasons, Milera did not feature in any of his club's five finals matches.

In the 2018 season, Milera was moved to the half-back line as a replacement for the injured Brodie Smith in Adelaide's round 6 victory over Gold Coast. Milera collected a career-high 33 disposals.

In February of 2020 Milera signed a five-year contract extension, keeping him at the club until at least the end of 2025. [6] His 2020 season was cut short by a foot injury which required surgery. Milera went on to miss the 2021 season as well as he suffered a knee injury in the patella tendon during a pre-season match. [7] 2023 was Milera's most consistent year yet when he averaged a career-high 19.7 disposals as the Crows narrowly missed out on finals. [2]

Prior to his ninth senior season at the Crows, Milera was votes into an extended leadership group at Adelaide alongside three other players. In a round 3, 2024 match against Fremantle, Milera suffered a season-ending knee injury of the same condition as his 2021 injury. [8] Just a week away of his 100-game milestone, he was forced to watch the remainder of the season from the sidelines, only returning to training at the end of the year. [9]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to end of 2024. [10]
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals  
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds  
  H  
 Handballs  
  M  
 Marks
SeasonTeamNo.GamesTotalsAverages (per game)
GBKHDMTGBKHDMT
2016 Adelaide 3085649408925170.60.86.15.011.13.12.1
2017 Adelaide 30168314110824953360.50.28.86.815.63.32.3
2018 Adelaide 30192223113736889490.10.112.17.219.34.62.5
2019 Adelaide 30176718412530993520.30.410.87.318.15.43.0
2020 Adelaide 30200171330720.00.08.56.515.03.51.0
2021 Adelaide 30–––––––––––––––
2022 Adelaide 301256817215332240.40.56.86.012.82.72.0
2023 Adelaide 30223024718643396430.10.011.28.519.74.42.0
2024 Adelaide 303003412461460.00.011.34.015.34.72.0
Career99292498469316774092290.30.29.97.016.94.12.3

Personal life

Milera married long-term partner Nina in 2023. The couple have a son. [11]

Alongside St Kilda player Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, he became the inaugural First Nations Education Ambassador as part of the AFL Players Association. [12]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Pick No.11: Wayne Milera". AFC.com.au. Adelaide Football Club. 24 November 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Wayne Milera | AFL". afc.com.au. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  3. ↑ AFL Players Indigenous Map 2023
  4. ↑ "Port Adelaide's Aboriginal AFL Academy talent Wayne Milera joins Crows via draft – portadelaidefc.com.au". portadelaidefc.com.au. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  5. ↑ Landsberger, Sam (29 May 2017). "Adelaide forward Wayne Milera pockets the Round 10 Rising Star nomination". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  6. ↑ Hetherington, James (6 February 2020). "Taylor Walker, Wayne Milera Adelaide Crows contract extension: Tex's prank on Junior". afc.com.au.
  7. ↑ Harvey, Daniela (16 May 2022). "Milera talks return from injury-plagued 2020, 2021". afc.com.au.
  8. ↑ "Injury-prone Crow suffers season-ending knee injury - AFL". afl.com.au. Optus Stadium. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  9. ↑ "Injury Update: Round 23". afc.com.au. 13 August 2024.
  10. ↑ "AFL Tables – Wayne Milera statistics". AFL Tables.
  11. ↑ "BCD: Congratulations Mr and Mrs Milera". afc.com.au. 5 November 2023.
  12. ↑ Cross, Jared (11 July 2024). "AFLPA-university partnership announces Indigenous ambassadors to "create lasting impact"". nit.com.au. National Indigenous Times.
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