The rise of Ahmed Saad from suburban footballer to St Kilda player has been as rapid as it has been unconventional.
Spending a fair chunk of his childhood in Eqypt, Saad a practicing Muslim never went through the elite junior AFL programs and just three years ago was playing for EDFL B-grade side Roxburgh Park, trying to master a game that he took up at the ripe ‘old’ age of 16.
More than mastering the game at Roxburgh Park, Saad finished the 2008 season with 66 goals in a side that managed only seven wins from 17 matches.
Playing the 2009 season with iconic VFL club the Northern Bullants, Saad under the tutelage of four time AFL premiership player Martin Pike and current West Coast Eagles defensive coach David Teague, was allocated the number 64 and made steady improvement rotating between playing as a forward and defender.
Saad though was never really close to playing senior football in 09.
A pre-season later and a skinny frame had transformed into a body capable of withstanding the rigors of playing against full-time footballers and by Round 3 of the VFL season, Saad had made his senior debut. Subsequently he was dropped the following week, not returning to the senior side until Round 7 where the Bullants were pitched against long-time northern suburbs rival, Coburg.
Three goals and named in the Bullants best, this game was to be the turning point for Ahmed Saad, he was to never again play VFL Reserves and by the end of the 2011 season he had played 35 games for the Bullants for a return of 73-goals and a contract with St Kilda.
Saad is ready to play AFL football. Quick off the mark and with precise kicking skills, he can play both ends of the ground and it just might be as a running half-back that Saad will make his name with the Saints.
Off the field Saad’s religious background will be spoken of almost as much as his ability to spilt open packs and kick freakish goals.
After 9/11 life for Muslims in the Western World hasn’t been straight forward. Egged on by rabid social commentators Australian politicians from both the ALP and LNP have used Muslims as a political ‘football’ to divide and rule jittery communities.
Much of Melbourne’s Muslim population is based in the Northern Suburbs and many play Australian Rules, defying the popular image of Muslims as isolationist and adversarial to ‘our’ way of life.
At just 22 years of age it may be unfair to define Ahmed Saad as a hero or a role model. After all Saad is just participating in an activity that he is better at than most and there are many young people who make significant contributions away from the football field.
However, AFL football is a significant part of popular culture in Victoria and more often than not the key stakeholders; being the players and administrators, aren’t from the Northern Suburbs of Melbourne, aren’t Muslim and didn’t attend the local high school, thus making the rise of Ahmed Saad from Roxburgh Park to St Kilda the story of trade week and the 2011 AFL draft.
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