ST KILDA has continued its busy off-season signing spree, this time securing the signature of Fiji in a landmark partnership with the South Pacific nation.
The Saints have already landed commitments from free agents Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni – and loom as one of the key players during the trade period – but have now expanded the club’s international presence.
All-Australian half-back Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and star key forward Mitch Owens travelled to the idyllic island nation last week to finalise the deal with St Kilda CEO Carl Dilena.
The Saints have signed a three-year partnership with the Fijian Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, making Fiji one of the club’s key sponsors, just behind Chery and CMC.
Dilena met with Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka in February, before returning during preliminary final week to seal the deal.
“We’ve been looking at ideas for the last couple of years around secondary markets. We were looking for an international partner as a pure sponsorship and community-based effort as opposed to relocating a game,” Dilena told AFL.com.au.
Mitch Owens with some kids in Fiji. Picture: St Kilda FC
“This first-of-its-kind deal opens the door to a wide range of initiatives, both commercially and in the community.”
St Kilda sold games overseas to New Zealand between 2013 and 2015 and held matches in Wellington, then played one game in Shanghai as part of a three-year deal with China before the COVID-19 pandemic ended that arrangement, but that is not part of this deal with Fiji.
“There is nothing in the arrangement that suggest games and there are no facilities to even play games,” Dilena said.
“If we can help Fiji get investment through its sporting facilities over the years and they can start building other sports, that would be fantastic.”
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera rides a horse in Fiji. Picture: St Kilda FC
Fiji is a nation of just under one million people with ancestral links to cult figures in the AFL’s recent history. David Rodan was born in Fiji to Tongan parents. Nic Naitanui was born to Fijian parents, as was Esava Ratogulea, while Atu Bosenavulagi was born in the archipelago nation before moving to Australia.
While the main aim of the partnership is to drive economic benefit to Fiji through travel and trade, Dilena said the Saints hope to unearth some talent during the partnership with plans in place to send a recruiter to the regional championships in December.
“There has been a lot of good work done across the region in development. We are working hand in glove with AFL Fiji and will help bolster what they’re doing,” he said.
“It’s obviously a rugby country and rugby union is their national sport, but there will be a lot of kids that aren’t suited to playing rugby union or are looking for a different sport.
“We think there is a really good opportunity in AFLW for girls who don’t want to play rugby union and create talent pathways there as well. You’re not going to scoop a whole pool of talent on day one because they don’t have the junior pathways in Fiji, but the more we connect we can give them opportunities.”
St Kilda has continued to slash its debt under Dilena, who initially joined the Saints in October 2022 as the club’s chief operating officer, then stepped in as interim CEO in the first four months of 2024 before being appointed Simon Lethlean’s full-time replacement.
Carl Dilena speaks at St Kilda’s brand reveal in November 2024. Picture: AFL Photos
“We’ve come from a pretty extreme debt position to a position that is probably a bit more manageable now. We’ll take another $1.5 million off our debt and get it down to a pretty manageable position,” he said.
“The aim over the next few years is to get that down to zero and start building some real balance sheet strength. There is a clear plan in place for all of that.”
St Kilda sold over 17,000 three-game $7 memberships for 2026 after Wanganeen-Milera turned his back on the lure of returning to South Australia by re-signing with the Saints for two more years.
St Kilda players Emmelie Fiedler, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Mitch Owens in Fiji. Picture: St Kilda FC
The Saints were aiming to sell 10,000 and quickly had to change the projection to 12,000 before the avalanche of support shattered those estimates across the seven-day promotion.
“We sold over 17,000,” Dilena said. “They count towards our 2026 members, so we have a great head start on next year already. We are going through them all at the moment. If we can retain a decent percentage of those and roll them into 2027 it has proven to be a great campaign.”
If St Kilda can convert 10,000 of those members into season tickets in 2027 – the average membership is $100 – Wanganeen-Milera’s signature will bring in $1 million in 2027.
Add that to the new partnership with Fiji and St Kilda is as healthy financially as it has been in a long time.
