St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has said he isn't worried if out-of-contract star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera will sign for the club.
Lyon explained he wasn't losing sleep over Wanganeen-Milera's contract talks but hopes he will sign a long-term deal at the Saints.
"We want to make St Kilda great. We’ve got a lot of hard work to do over a long period of time," Lyon said.
"Develop our players, support them, make it a safe environment and then at the end of the day, you are either good enough to keep them or you’re not."
MORE WANGANEEN-MILERA NEWS:
- Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera's Adelaide snub denied by St Kilda star's agent
- The contract offers in front of St Kilda star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera
- Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera makes clearest statement on his St Kilda and AFL future
Wanganeen-Milera is out of contract at the end of the year, with talks he is considering a trade request back to his home state of South Australia.
As Adelaide and Port Adelaide are the only two sides in South Australia, it is expected to be a bidding war if the star defender wants to come back home.
Lyon also criticised the South Australian media and said it was an 'interesting environment' after Wanganeen-Milera was followed by the media during his recent visit during the bye round.
"He’s been doorstopped twice and terrorised twice (by media). It talks to the intensity over there, getting doorstopped at the airport during the bye," he said
"It’s interesting how a non-story becomes a story. Clearly, it’s good to have competitive tension."
Lyon also stated he wasn't worried that Wanganeen-Milera caught up with Port Adelaide players Jason Horne-Francis and Jase Burgoyne during his recent visit.
St Kilda take on the Western Bulldogs on Thursday night, just 52 days since they last played in Round 6.
"That's the quirk of the draw, I suppose, probably happens to a few clubs," Lyon said
"It's a season with ebbs and flows for everybody, so hopefully we've learnt some lessons."
The Saints have a poor recent record against the Bulldogs, losing the last two contests at Marvel Stadium by 10-plus goals.