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AHMED Saad brushed the dripping sweat from his brow, placed his hands on his hips and leant forward sucking in air as his trademark smile again spread across his face.
Another gruelling upper-body weights session ended as Saad’s 817 AFL-listed peers enjoyed their mandatory Christmas break.
On Wednesday, Saad’s extreme one-man pre-season will come to a close.
He will return to St Kilda and join its 2km time trial at Seaford 522 days after the last of his 29 AFL games and his 18-month drug suspension was activated.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
To get back in a team environment is going to be so much easier on him mentally,” Iacobucci said.
“He’s significantly improved his strength levels and running times and from what he’s told me of the targets he had at St Kilda back in (2012-13), he’s exceeded those. He’s ready to go.”
So, despite no contact with elite sport since mid-2013, is Saad really in the shape of his life?
“Yep, 100 per cent,” he swears.
“My 2km time trial and my strength work proves that. We’ve relayed those to the club and the club was really impressed.”
Saints chief operating boss Ameet Bains said pre-draft Saad would only be taken if they deemed him up for the AFL battle physically and mentally after such a long absence.
When chief recruiter Tony Elshaug called his name, he said: “When we drafted Ahmed three years ago, we were excited then and we’re just as excited now”.
Saad and Iacobucci — former teammates at Carlton affiliate Northern Bullants — worked with Saints coach Alan Richardson during his tenure at the Blues and Iacobucci spent two years under him at Collingwood.
“That’s why (Richo) put a lot of trust in both of us,” Saad said.
HitTheBoundary wrote:Good article.
It'll be interesting to see how fit he is compared to the others.
I was a tad disappointed that he hasn't spent the whole time improving his left foot kicking.
I have posted before that I hope he has found time to work on his left foot over the last 18 months - looks like he has been ticking a lot of the other boxes - fingers crossed on the left foot
we kept clint jones for years and still have Gilbert and yet you carry on about a left foot............and the same could be said for the rest of the team......they ALL have to use both feet
seano1 wrote:we kept clint jones for years and still have Gilbert and yet you carry on about a left foot............and the same could be said for the rest of the team......they ALL have to use both feet
No they don't. Reckon that's another myth. Good if they can but better to work on your good skills to make them great than work on the poor skills to make them average.
seano1 wrote:we kept clint jones for years and still have Gilbert and yet you carry on about a left foot............and the same could be said for the rest of the team......they ALL have to use both feet
No they don't. Reckon that's another myth. Good if they can but better to work on your good skills to make them great than work on the poor skills to make them average.
Disagree Plugger and above, Saad at least needs to learn to handball and turn onto his right side as he was too easily coralled when playing in the pockets. Its hardly a myth that dual sided players are what makes them the better players.
SAINTS another day older another day closer to the Holy Grail!
seano1 wrote:we kept clint jones for years and still have Gilbert and yet you carry on about a left foot............and the same could be said for the rest of the team......they ALL have to use both feet
No they don't. Reckon that's another myth. Good if they can but better to work on your good skills to make them great than work on the poor skills to make them average.
Disagree Plugger and above, Saad at least needs to learn to handball and turn onto his right side as he was too easily coralled when playing in the pockets. Its hardly a myth that dual sided players are what makes them the better players.
Yep but most of them are naturally 2 sided players. James Hird never worried about his left side at all. I think you will find most clubs work on getting their good skills better than making their poor skills average. Gary Ablett, both of them, were and are poor trainers but had and have sublime skills on both sides of their body.
seano1 wrote:we kept clint jones for years and still have Gilbert and yet you carry on about a left foot............and the same could be said for the rest of the team......they ALL have to use both feet
I am not sure what you are getting at here. No one would suggest he becomes a left footer - he is good on the right foot - needs to improve on his left - simple stuff - as you say they ALL the team need to use both feet
seano1 wrote:we kept clint jones for years and still have Gilbert and yet you carry on about a left foot............and the same could be said for the rest of the team......they ALL have to use both feet
No they don't. Reckon that's another myth. Good if they can but better to work on your good skills to make them great than work on the poor skills to make them average.
Must also disagree here - these guys are professional players who get paid well to spend the time required to train for modern afl . They need to make their good skills great AND make their poor skills average . My 10 year old understands the importance of having some ability on his left side in case he needs it - if he can't go on to the right for whatever reason . and he spends time working on it - not much but some - and he still manages to fit in school 5 days a week
seano1 wrote:we kept clint jones for years and still have Gilbert and yet you carry on about a left foot............and the same could be said for the rest of the team......they ALL have to use both feet
No they don't. Reckon that's another myth. Good if they can but better to work on your good skills to make them great than work on the poor skills to make them average.
Must also disagree here - these guys are professional players who get paid well to spend the time required to train for modern afl . They need to make their good skills great AND make their poor skills average . My 10 year old understands the importance of having some ability on his left side in case he needs it - if he can't go on to the right for whatever reason . and he spends time working on it - not much but some - and he still manages to fit in school 5 days a week
You are right with the age, 10 years old. Its basically to late at 18 and over to make poor skills average, they are better making good skills great because they already have good skills. Something so ingrained is very hard to adjust. They have probably had at least 10 years of being poor on their wrong side. if it was that simple why don't players improve their wrong side.
Well done to Ahmed Saad for improving his strength and running abilities.
All the best with the other subtleties of the small forward mind-set.
As one of my favourate Saints I'm really hoping Ahmed thrieves under Richo and the 2015 coaches.
Ahmed has endured plenty but now he might be able to unleash his stronger and faster self on the rest of the AFL.
GOOD LUCK AHMED
GO SAINTS !
The boy can play and we can build a defence around him that will have respect.
There doesn't seem to be the same emphasis on being "two-sided" these days. I think it stems from the modern game style. If in trouble these days, you just go onto your natural side and chip it back and across, something that was sacrilegious in the 80's and 90's. In those days it seemed everyone was at least adequate on the non-preferred side. Some, such as Leon Cameron were almost superior on the left. I remember, even in the ammos, we devoted a lot of time working on the non-preferred side. Rarely see players yes it these days.
I started with nothing and I've got most of it left!
White Winmar wrote:There doesn't seem to be the same emphasis on being "two-sided" these days. I think it stems from the modern game style. If in trouble these days, you just go onto your natural side and chip it back and across, something that was sacrilegious in the 80's and 90's. In those days it seemed everyone was at least adequate on the non-preferred side. Some, such as Leon Cameron were almost superior on the left. I remember, even in the ammos, we devoted a lot of time working on the non-preferred side. Rarely see players yes it these days.
It's the "no-sided" players we need to worry about and avoid.
White Winmar wrote:There doesn't seem to be the same emphasis on being "two-sided" these days. I think it stems from the modern game style. If in trouble these days, you just go onto your natural side and chip it back and across, something that was sacrilegious in the 80's and 90's. In those days it seemed everyone was at least adequate on the non-preferred side. Some, such as Leon Cameron were almost superior on the left. I remember, even in the ammos, we devoted a lot of time working on the non-preferred side. Rarely see players yes it these days.
It's the "no-sided" players we need to worry about and avoid.
And haven't we had a few of those over time?
I started with nothing and I've got most of it left!
for those who can listen
SportsDay @SportsdayRadio
Coming up @stkildafc @ahmedsaad23, plus football legend John Kosmina to preview #AsianCup, and we'll cross to Sam Groth at @BrisbaneTennis
