Wayne Milera Junior has joined a distinguished list of winners of the Mark Bickley Emerging Talent Award.
The exciting 20-year-old claimed the honour, which recognises the achievements of a first or second-year player under 21 on and off the field, during Friday night’s Club Champion dinner at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
Milera added 16 games to his career tally this year after earning an AFL debut in Round One last season.
The line-breaking wingman averaged 16 disposals and three marks a match using his trademark speed and skill.
He was nominated for the AFL’s Rising Star Award following a stellar three-goal performance against Fremantle in Round 10 and finished with eight majors for the season.
The Central District junior has become a popular member of the playing group since joining Adelaide via pick No.11 at the 2015 National Draft.
A lifelong Crows fan, Milera showed his commitment to the Club this year by re-signing until at least the end of 2020.
Some of the Club’s biggest names have claimed the Mark Bickley Emerging Talent Award, which is an amalgamation of two awards from the Club's history.
Andrew McLeod won the inaugural Emerging Talent Award in 1995 before the Mark Bickley Award was introduced as a standalone honour in 2005. Brett Burton, Ben Rutten, Graham Johncock and current players Rory Sloane, Daniel Talia and Matt Crouch are also past winners.
The two awards were officially unified in 2014.
MARK BICKLEY EMERGING TALENT AWARD WINNERS
1995 – Andrew McLeod (Emerging Talent)
1996 – Peter Vardy
1997 – Kane Johnson
1998 – Andrew Eccles
1999 – Brett Burton
2000 – Tyson Stenglein
2001 – Chris Ladhams
2002 – Graham Johncock
2003 – Brent Reilly
2004 – Ben Rutten
2005 – Nathan van Berlo (Emerging Talent), Chris Knights (Mark Bickley Award)
2006 – Jason Porplyzia (ET), Nathan van Berlo (MB)
2007 – Jonathon Griffin (ET), Jason Porplyzia (MB)
2008 – Kurt Tippett (ET), David Mackay (MB)
2009 – Andy Otten (ET), Patrick Dangerfield (MB)
2010 – Rory Sloane (ET), Phil Davis (MB)
2011 – Matthew Jaensch (ET), Daniel Talia (MB)
2012 – Brodie Smith (ET), Sam Kerridge (MB)
2013 – Brad Crouch (ET), Luke Brown (MB)
2014 – Charlie Cameron
2015 – Matt Crouch
2016 – Jake Lever
2017 – Wayne Milera Junior
