Ahmed Saad seeks another AFL lifeline after being delisted by St Kilda

Ahmed Saad seeks another AFL lifeline after being delisted by St Kilda

AHMED Saad hasn’t given up on his AFL dream yet, adamant past adversity has made him a more determined footballer and better person that could benefit another club.The small forward was delisted by St Kilda last week following a one-year lifeline stint on its rookie list.

It was his second chance at the Saints, after originally being delisted in November 2013 midway through the anti-doping hearing into his positive test for a prohibited stimulant contained in an energy drink — a hearing that ultimately saw him banned for 18 months.

Saad was temporarily promoted to the Saints’ senior list prior to the 2015 season and played the first four games.

But patchy form and the rise of younger teammates saw him demoted to the VFL and, consequently, the rookie list.

“It was good for the club that we didn’t have injuries, but it was bad for me that we had the healthiest list in the AFL up until the last couple of rounds,” Saad told SEN.

“I would’ve loved to have gotten back in the team and proved that I can play at that level and be a good player for the club.

“Unfortunately that didn’t happen and the club’s decided to go a different way. I appreciate the club picking me up in the first place, let alone after my ban.”

However Saad said he has been working hard on his fitness levels with personal trainer Adam Iacobucci over the past month in the hope of gaining a spot on another AFL club’s senior or rookie list.

Saad said he was in a positive frame of mind, despite being cut by the Saints.

“I’ve been through worse than this. At this time last year I didn’t know what was going to go on and two years before that I didn’t know whether I was going to ever play football again,” Saad said.

“This is a little bit easier than the past couple of years, but I want to continue to train just like I did last year on my own towards the draft.

“I work pretty hard and that’s proven by me working on my own last year to get back into AFL condition — and I did that.”

Saad claimed a club could benefit greatly from his pace, accurate goalkicking and forward pressure.

He said he would enjoy playing more through the midfield — an aspect of his game he began to develop towards the end of his tenure at the Saints.

“That’s something I really enjoyed and could help get my numbers up from the 10 to 12 touches a small forward gets,” he said.

“If I can go on the wing for a little bit and give someone a chop out, it’ll definitely help my numbers. I’d like to think I’m pretty good with the ball in my hands too.”

Despite his optimism, Saad is remaining realistic, admitting “it’s not the end of the world” if he wasn’t given another AFL lifeline.

“Obviously my aim is to get back into a list and play AFL footy, because that’s what I love doing. But if that doesn’t happen and I don’t get an opportunity again, I’ll move on with life and I’m sure there’s a couple of opportunities that I’ve got already lined up,” he said.