Richo on drafting Saad

[spert]

I hope he gets back via whatever means. He has more improvement in him I reckon, is a quality guy and will be handy in the forward line and it will also be a good PR initiative for the club and AFL to show support of a player who honestly did his time and is keen to play. Essendon could only dream of this kind of scenario

[saintly]

With 4 rookie spots, Saad is a shoe-in to be rookied.

He is but surely that isn't what we as a bottom side should be using it for.

The guy played better footy in his short career than half our side did this year… so I have no problems with adding him, he will improve the list & has some elite qualities.

But he cant play till round 12 baring injury. Don't see any point at all. He will be rookied by us though.

Huh?

He's eligible from February 2015, isn't he?

yes, he is eligible Feburary 2015. he got 18 months starting i think in August

[saintly]

https://soundcloud.com/nabtraderadio/ah ... um=twitter

[linz]

A Good news story. Let's help him get back.
Draft Him as a rookie/last pick selection.
Obviously determined.

[saintly]

A Good news story. Let's help him get back.
Draft Him as a rookie/last pick selection.
Obviously determined.

sounds like he hasn't done anything to shorten his run up. i wonder whether he has worked on a his kicking?

[Enrico_Misso]

Does the gentleman's agreement apply?

e.g. when a club is forced to delist an ageing legend because of list requirements but with the intention of redrafting it is "understood" that other clubs will keep away.
e.g. we did this with Blake.

Surely with Saad this is similar.
Simply reinstating a player who was taken away?

[saintbrat]

Pelchen said the Saints' stance regarding Ahmed Saad had not changed despite their low level of involvement in the player exchange period.

He said they had not committed to their former forward, who has kept himself fit with the help of a personal trainer while serving his 18-month ASADA ban.

The Saints have kept in touch with Saad through their player welfare manager Tony Brown and believe him to be in good physical condition.

"He's in a really good headspace right now and he's committed and is training extremely hard with a personal trainer to prove that he is fit enough and in the mental space to apply himself to AFL football again," he said.

"We're encouraged by that, whether he is at St Kilda or otherwise, but we haven't made a decision on that at this stage.

"We won't make that decision until draft day, whether that be national draft or the pre-season draft or rookie draft.

"We'll make an assessment on Ahmed relative to other players who are still in the draft at that time."

http://www.saints.com.au/news/2014-10-1 ... brey-early

[Con Gorozidis]

Can we rookie him?
What are the rules?

[SemperFidelis]

Can we rookie him?
What are the rules?

I'm pretty sure we can rookie him, but we have to have the space. Guess it depends in part on what happens with Mav, as that piece you linked to confirmed they hadn't decided whether his new two year deal also comes with an upgrade to the senior list ( I had mistakenly thought it did).

And on who else we might want to rookie. Which I guess we won't know until after the draft at the very least.

[stinger]

i would think his only chance would be if we picked him up as a rookie with our last pick and he was the best available....reckon that the cheaters or the brown bagers may give him a look in before we land him.....would you drop schneider off the list to make room for saad??....i certainly wouldn't......

[Austinnn]

I would drop Schneider for Saad, but that's just me. I also don't know why Beams and Ryder are worth so much in trades. I live in France and haven't watched a game in bloody ages, live or even on TV. I base all my info on what I read.

But I can't see the value of keeping Adam S in our player squad these days. Ahmed S at least shows some promise. Am I wrong?

[The Redeemer]

I would drop Schneider for Saad, but that's just me. I also don't know why Beams and Ryder are worth so much in trades. I live in France and haven't watched a game in bloody ages, live or even on TV. I base all my info on what I read.

But I can't see the value of keeping Adam S in our player squad these days. Ahmed S at least shows some promise. Am I wrong?

Adam S just struggles to get on the park. Despite much love, so what?

[stinger]

I would drop Schneider for Saad, but that's just me. I also don't know why Beams and Ryder are worth so much in trades. I live in France and haven't watched a game in bloody ages, live or even on TV. I base all my info on what I read.

But I can't see the value of keeping Adam S in our player squad these days. Ahmed S at least shows some promise. Am I wrong?

a fit schneider is strrets ahead of saad footy wise...only problem is he is never fit and almost always injured these days...smart footy brain though and good teacher to the kids....50/50 i suppose...

[LTN16]

Is he a chance with our pick 41 or will he be rookied ?

[stinger]

Is he a chance with our pick 41 or will he be rookied ?

chance for both i suppose...depends on who else is available

[The OtherThommo]

Ah. Thanks Loris. It's been a long day ...

That's OK..... is that horse hair wig scrambling the brain a little

Speaking of lawerly accoutrements, about that duck feather wig, Semp.........

[The OtherThommo]

He went at a goal and a half a game (45 in 29) while playing 2nd small forward fiddle to Milne. He showed he was genuinely quick, could step, went to the right spots enough to show he had 'feel' for the game, could win it close to goal, catch it over his navel from time to time, and in that 29 games he had enough gooduns to suggest better was to come. Examples;





This one has him and Milera (funky over track, too, if ya like that sort of thing). It also contains some footage of what I thought was probably his best game in the 29, vs C'Wood at the G, when we went down by a kick (the Milne/ La Bumba last minute contest).



The young fella made a blue, at entirely the wrong time in his career. But, if he presents well for consideration I'd give him another crack. For a smaller fella he's well put together. Be it senior or rookie list, I reckon he's worth a 2nd chance. I reckon he might just be a tad hungry, too, and that cannot hurt his chances of getting better. After all, he's been missing for about the same time as someone recovering from a bad knee reco.....which he isn't.

[jamesmc]

Will he still be available when it comes to our pick?

Can't see us drafting him with any early picks somehow.

I will be pissed if we use more than a rookie pick on him. people do realise he was dropped at least twice last year and had a pretty ordinary year. he is like half or more of our list. A lot of ordinary footballers like 2 of our rookies that some want upgraded in Minch and Shenton. Id get rid of both and hope to get some better. If we dont we wont go backwards.

like wtf are you saying like. you sound like a sxteen year old school girl, like

[Furphy]

I really hope Ahmed gets another go at AFL, but I wouldn't use any early draft picks on him. It riles me that he was the only player suspended for using "supplements" has any Essendon player been spoken to harshly yet?

[Dave McNamara]

Pelchen said the Saints' stance regarding Ahmed Saad had not changed despite their low level of involvement in the player exchange period.

He said they had not committed to their former forward, who has kept himself fit with the help of a personal trainer while serving his 18-month ASADA ban.

The Saints have kept in touch with Saad through their player welfare manager Tony Brown and believe him to be in good physical condition.

"He's in a really good headspace right now and he's committed and is training extremely hard with a personal trainer to prove that he is fit enough and in the mental space to apply himself to AFL football again," he said.

"We're encouraged by that, whether he is at St Kilda or otherwise, but we haven't made a decision on that at this stage.

"We won't make that decision until draft day, whether that be national draft or the pre-season draft or rookie draft.

"We'll make an assessment on Ahmed relative to other players who are still in the draft at that time."

http://www.saints.com.au/news/2014-10-1 ... brey-early

I read that as saying a definite... no. I hope it's only tactical.


Saady had a somewhat disappointing second year, but gee, I suspect the stress of knowing he'd stuffed up with the Viking drink would have had a lot to do with that.

[saintspremiers]

Pelchen said the Saints' stance regarding Ahmed Saad had not changed despite their low level of involvement in the player exchange period.

He said they had not committed to their former forward, who has kept himself fit with the help of a personal trainer while serving his 18-month ASADA ban.

The Saints have kept in touch with Saad through their player welfare manager Tony Brown and believe him to be in good physical condition.

"He's in a really good headspace right now and he's committed and is training extremely hard with a personal trainer to prove that he is fit enough and in the mental space to apply himself to AFL football again," he said.

"We're encouraged by that, whether he is at St Kilda or otherwise, but we haven't made a decision on that at this stage.

"We won't make that decision until draft day, whether that be national draft or the pre-season draft or rookie draft.

"We'll make an assessment on Ahmed relative to other players who are still in the draft at that time."

http://www.saints.com.au/news/2014-10-1 ... brey-early

I read that as saying a definite... no. I hope it's only tactical.


Saady had a somewhat disappointing second year, but gee, I suspect the stress of knowing he'd stuffed up with the Viking drink would have had a lot to do with that.

I hope someone picks him up - maybe Melbourne?

Not a good fit for us, another plodder

[iwantmeseats]

WTF? Why so many down on Saad? Showed alot of potential to me in his few games.
Hell, its not like we dont need a mobile foward pocket type that player that can kick straight. Or any plarer that can kick straight. Or any mobile players....
Should absolutely rookie him.

[evertonfc]

Really does appear to be Schneider or Saad.

Schneider is a vastly superior option by way of skill and smarts. But his body isn't great.

Saad is five years younger.

I'd still love to get Schneider fit and firing like previous years, because we lack players with his exact attributes. That said, if he's crocked, I'd go with Saad. Only the medical staff can know.

[J-Boy061979]

By my calculations as the list currently stands (and I know decisions can still be made to change this by the time of the draft) but the only spots left for Saad would be on the rookie list. Unless we were to use pick 41 which I think would be better used on the best young talent available.

List Changes
Off
Lenny Hayes
James Gwilt
Clinton Jones
Beau Maister
Sam Dunnell
Trent Dennis-Lane
Rhys Stanley
Terry Milera?

On
Eli Templeton (Rookie Upgrade)
Darren Minchington (Rookie Upgrade)
Cameron Shenton (Rookie Upgrade)
Pick 1
Pick 21
Pick 22
Pick 41
Tim Membrey (commited to drafting in the Pre-season draft