Whelan said the exciting 19-year-old from the Northern Territory was making the most of his opportunities since he was promoted in the absence of the yet-to-debut Jack Grimes, who has been placed on the long-term injury list due to a back injury.
"Austin's fitted in really well and he's already shown he can play at this level, so once he gets a few more games and some confidence he's going to be very damaging," Whelan told melbournefc.com.au.
"I think the Indigenous boys lead the way in (chasing and tackling) because of their pace and their closing speed, and that's something that comes naturally to Austin."
Whelan, who is one of four Indigenous players at Melbourne, along with Aaron Davey and Isaac Weetra, said he enjoyed being a role model for younger players. But he added that Davey was starting to take the likes of Wonaeamirri under his wing now.
"I'm always there for Aaron and the other guys, but Aaron has probably taken Austin under his wing a little bit more. If Aaron needs any advice, he comes to me," Whelan said.
"It flows down a bit, but I think it's good for Aaron to take on that role because he's a bit younger and he knows them a bit better than I do. But in saying that, anytime Austin needs advice, he'll come and speak to me.
"Our families know each other - my father knows Austin's father pretty well - and because we both come from Darwin and it is so small, you tend to know everyone and you know who's coming through the ranks.
