On the back of signing mega multi-year deals, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Kysaiah Pickett are being put forward as the players to drive a fresh AFL Indigenous recruiting campaign.

Wanganeen-Milera has spoken to other young Indigenous teammates, Liam Henry, Isaac Keeler and Lance Collard, about what playing for their culture for their future means.

"There's been a decline in the number of Indigenous players in the game, but we want to inspire young Indigenous people to play footy and show how much it brings joy to us being able to play together," the Kokatha and Narangga man recently told CODE Sports.

"When you've got a fair few, it makes it a whole lot of fun."

The AFL has been publicly concerned in recent times at the decline of the number of Indigenous players at the highest level.

The figures for First Nations players on AFL club lists peaked at 87 in 2020 but within five years dropped to 62.

The AFL announced during the 2024 season plans to beef up its Indigenous pathway networks since numbers fell from 81 in 2022 to 77 the following year and then 71 players in 2024.

First Nations players numbers dropped once again last year by a further nine.

That most recent figure was the lowest Indigenous representation since reaching 58 players on senior lists two decades ago.

There have been 178 male players that have been recognised and/or identified as Indigenous in the history of the VFL/AFL competition across the past 129 years.

AFL general manager of football operations Laura Kane said - at the time of the 2024 announcement - that a slump had been affected by a series of Indigenous retirements, but otherwise numbers had remained "relatively consistent", though also recognising there was a "slight reduction".

"We are focused on growing this number for future years," Kane told media at the time.

"We are working closely with list managers across all our clubs to grow our Indigenous talent pathway."

Media figures - and former players - David King and Kane Cornes have since called on AFL marketing heads to promote the latest two Aboriginal superstars to encourage First Nations' development of the game.

Wanganeen-Milera re-signed for St Kilda at the end of last season for $4 million on a two-year extension after both Adelaide and Port Adelaide heavily courted the former South Australian.

Pickett also recommitted to his club months earlier, agreeing to terms with Melbourne for the following nine years reportedly worth $12 million.

The pair has signed the most lucrative Indigenous contracts since Lance Franklin's nine-year deal amid free agency for Sydney at the end of the 2013 season.

King, a one-time employee of the AFL following his 242-game playing stint at North Melbourne, said both Wanganeen-Milera and Pickett's rise up the ranks should spell an uplift in more First Nations hopefuls.

"I think the AFL's Indigenous revival is upon us. The AFL's marketing department needs to get involved with these two kids," King said on SEN Radio.

"The defining numbers are down: 87 in 2020 down to 62 in 2025 - and around that mark for this coming season.

"Kosi Pickett and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera must become the AFL's trump card for this and next year's marketing campaign while they are roughly inside the top 10 bracket in the AFL competition.

"Get on board with these two and expose them as much as you can to drive a thirst for the (Aboriginal) young kids along the line of 'you can't be, what you can't see'."

King said football fans "absolutely love watching them both play".

The AFL restructured its football department at the conclusion of the 2024 season, bolstering First Nations voices by naming Pauly Vandenbergh the new Indigenous and multicultural player engagement manager while also appointing Narelle Long as its diversity talent programs manager.

There was also a greater focus on transitioning and retaining Indigenous talent in regional, club and state talent pathway circles in addition to the introduction of a National Diversity Academy to bring together the leading 15 Indigenous players annually in their 17th and 18th years ahead of the draft.

The National Indigenous Academy also targets close to 100 male and female players, aged 16 and 17, to holistically focus on "football development, leadership, culture, and wellbeing excellence".

Cornes said Wanganeen-Milera's showing against Melbourne last year was the most influential AFL game in recent memory; driving St Kilda back from 46 points down to win by six points after the siren against Pickett's Melbourne.

"That round-20 game from Nas was the greatest marketing event the AFL has ever seen," Cornes said.

"The talk after that game was unbelievable - I can't remember anything like it in any home and away game.

"Now with Latrelle Pickett (Kysaiah's cousin) as well joining Kozzie at Melbourne, what a great opportunity this is for the AFL. I mean, he may be one of the great draft picks as Kosi was."

Melbourne's No.12 pick in the 2025 draft has leaped from 50-1 to 20-1 in the Rising Star award betting based on an extraordinary debut appearance during a match a simulation against North Melbourne.