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THE ONLY thing that could stop Wayne Milera in his brilliant second half of the season was the unexpected diagnosis that he had been living with a heart condition.
The South Australian, who pushed into top-10 calculations with a string of standout games, was diagnosed late in the year with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome in the middle of the year.
Milera had never had any problems with his heart, so was shocked to learn he had the illness, which causes an increased heartbeat through an electrical pathway. He had surgery to correct the problem, which saw him miss Central District's elimination final, but he returned to star in its semi-final win.
It capped a season where the classy half-forward played every game for South Australia at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, and also played 11 senior games in the SANFL.
Milera is a nephew of former Sydney Swans star Michael O'Loughlin, who has offered him plenty of advice throughout this year, and a distant relative of former Saints forward Terry Milera.
Most of Milera's best form has come at senior level for Central District, which shows he can match it with the more mature and hardened bodies. He quickly became an important member of the Bulldogs side, and kicked five goals from 25 disposals in a breakout game later in the season against Glenelg.
In the finals he also kicked three goals to help Centrals to a semi-final win, showing some of his best form when his team needed him to stand up. Milera is classy and skillful, he can mark overhead, and he is dangerous around goal without being restricted to a forward-50 role.
When in traffic he is calm and composed, and he manages to work his way into space with a minimum of fuss. His on-field agility and movement is among the best in the draft: he's a player who glides across the ground and sometimes appears like he could click into another gear if required.
Milera averaged a goal a game for Central's senior team, and across the under-18 carnival his disposal efficiency was among the best at 84 per cent. He proved he has strong endurance at the NAB AFL Draft Combine by running a 10:30 three-kilometre time trial, and his time of 24.61 seconds in the repeat sprint placed him in the top-10.
Milera will need to build up his body before graduating to the top level, but that will happen in time. He is more of an outside option at this stage of is development so can continue to work on his inside game, but clubs can see that coming along with some body size.
Every club will have a slightly different take on what Milera will be at the next level. Some see him as a high half-forward, some think he's got goal sneak abilities, and other think he will be able to go into the midfield at the next level. He probably needs to find more of the ball consistently, but that will come in time.
Milera could end up a versatile player like Hawthorn's Shaun Burgoyne. He isn't restricted to one role, he is damaging by foot, and can sense when to lift in the important moments in games.
Milera looks set to be one of the first picked in three days' time. He could be drafted anywhere in the 4-9 range but is a likely top-10 selection.
In terms of talent, Milera belongs right near the top of the draft. He can do things most other prospects can't. He's got a touch of magic and doesn't need many disposals to impact a game. Classy and creative, Milera is hard to lock down. 
