There were no surprises from the St Kilda selection table when silky wingman Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera was named on the half-back flank to start his second AFL season.

The move had been hinted during the offseason against his natural game of running up and down the inside of the boundary lines.

Once described as the "pure most skilful player of the draft", in 2021, from recruiting guru Kevin Sheahan, adding a defensive mechanism to his flowing game may appear to be counterproductive.

But that is not how the son of one-time St Kilda swingman Terry Milera and nephew of Essendon and Port Adelaide great Gavin Wanganeen views the role.

"There's been a strong focus on my running capacity and I've got a lot stronger in the gym and feel a lot stronger in my body," Wanganeen-Milera told saints.com.au

"I think that correlates out on the field in terms of feeling more confident and holding my ground.

"I've been working closely with (defensive coach) Corey Enright a lot, understanding the backline roles, learning a bit more about the game, and trying to fit in as best that I can into this position.

"I've noticed a huge change from last pre-season to now, especially in the areas that I needed to improve on like my physicality and contested work."

The pick #11 from Glenelg, via nearby Marion, trained the preseason exclusively with the backline group

Wanganeen-Milera put his knowledge from one of the modern game's best backmen into practice, starring in the club's only official practice match against Essendon.

The Narungga and Kokatha man took the kick-ins from the goal square and generated a team-high 589 metres from his gifted boot.

The switch down back did not affect his ability to gain possession frequently, the 20-year-old taking home 23 disposals at Moorabbin in the position and was arguably St Kilda's finest mover that day with the ball in hand.

Wanganeen-Milera carried that form into St Kilda's round one clash with Fremantle and lit up Marvel Stadium with 18 touches, including 17 kicks, five marks and an impressive 526 metres gained for the Saints.

Enright said the young star's attributes compare favourably to half-backs Jack Sinclair and Bradley Hill.

"He looks really comfortable – he's learning a lot off the players around him and the early signs are looking good. It's really exciting from our point of view," Enright said.

"When we see him, he looks like a natural footballer and that his decision-making and balance of when to attack and when to defend is also quite natural for him.

"We want to see him be creative, we want to see him get involved in our offence, link up, join in, and use his flair, and we feel like half-back is the best spot for him to shine at the moment.

"He does read the game pretty well, and he's only learning what it looks like behind the ball, as opposed to playing outside on that wing."