Ahmed Saad Biography

Ahmed Saad is completing his own training regime over the off-season in the hope of earning an AFL lifeline after being cut from St Kilda's rookie list.

The small forward, who is working with personal trainer Adam Iacobucci, is desperate to continue his career and believes overcoming past hurdles should make him an attractive proposition for clubs.

"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."

Ahmed Saad has been cut from the Saints' rookie list after managing four games in 2015.

Ahmed Saad could restart his AFL career as early as round one, with the forward the frontrunner for rookie elevation at St Kilda.

"Ahmed has been pretty impressive, not only in the way he's played his role but the way he's embraced all the training we've asked of him," St Kilda coach Alan Richardson said.

"He gives us a bit of speed, he's obviously quite creative and he'll play a little bit on the wing tonight [against Hawthorn] … he'll push up.

"There was a bit of noise about the times he needed to get prior to coming back to our club, so he's certainly worked on that and has had some really good results with his endurance."

Ahmed Saad says he is happy to finally be back training with the Saints in the AFL.

"I just couldn't be happier. It's been a long 16 months until now and it's all over now and I'm just happy to be here and be with the boys," Saad said.

"There's another level of appreciation because it's been taken away from me. I don't want that to happen again, so I'm going to make sure I do everything I can."

Saints defender Jarryn Geary says Ahmed Saad's St Kilda teammates are excited to have him back at the club.

"He was a pretty popular guy when he came into the team and he was here for a couple of years and he was a big part of it for that time," Geary said.

"He was obviously disappointed with how things went but he's done the time now and everyone was really excited and eager to see what would happen in the rookie draft because we'd heard a few other clubs were interested in him.

"We were just hoping he'd make it to us and he did, so the boys are really excited to have him back."

St Kilda is confident Ahmed Saad can make the most of his second chance in the AFL after his long road back to Seaford was completed at the 2014 NAB AFL Rookie Draft.

"We were keen to make an assessment of how he handled himself during the year both physically and mentally and whether he was up to what we would deem as AFL standard," St Kilda list manager Ameet Bains said.

"He was able to experience his dream of playing AFL football for a couple of years and then it was taken away.

"We've been pleased to get feedback from both him and the personal trainer he's been working with around the physical testing he's done."

Ahmed Saad isn't allowed to train with teammates until January 1, but the former St Kilda forward says an AFL-like regime will have him ready to go if he gets drafted.

"My body feels really good, I've been training with a personal trainer, which is Adam Iacobucci who was my captain at Northern Bullants," Saad said.

"I train with him five days a week, which includes running, weights, conditioning, circuits.

"I've kind of started a mini pre-season pretty much to make sure that when I do get drafted – if I do get that chance again – that I'm ready to go, if not fitter and stronger."

Alan Richardson indicates club may look to redraft banned footballer Ahmed Saad.

"He has the attributes if he can get back in shape," Richardson said.

"It's a tricky situation because he won't be able to work with us physically in our program until after the draft so that's going to be a bit of a challenge.

"He'll have to make sure he works really hard on his own to get himself to the standard required for AFL footy, but that will be up to Ahmed."

St Kilda remains "open minded" to re-drafting Ahmed Saad this November after the Anti-Doping Appeals Board dismissed ASADA's appeal against his 18-month suspension.

"We are open-minded to the possibility of him returning to the Saints," St Kilda head of football Chris Pelchen said.

"But, like all players available in the draft, we will make the appropriate assessment later in the year.

"Until that time, we will continue to support his welfare, as permitted."

The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority will appeal Ahmed Saad's 18-month ban handed down by the AFL Tribunal last month.

The former St Kilda forward would have been eligible to return to the AFL for the 2015 season, but that timeline is now in jeopardy.

ASADA notified the AFL late on Wednesday that it would appeal the finding and the AFL Appeals Board will now sit at a date to be fixed to - more than likely - extend the ban.

AFL Players' Association boss Matt Finnis slams ASADA's decision to appeal the 18-month ban handed down to former St Kilda player Ahmed Saad by the AFL tribunal.

"For any anti-doping regime to be credible and engender confidence among those it seeks to bind, it must be fair and recognise proportionality of penalties imposed," Finnis said.

"This inevitably involves recognition of the specific context and impact of the penalty – something which the AFL Tribunal clearly did, but which is threatened by ASADA's decision to appeal."

Ahmed Saad said he unwittingly drank the banned sports drink 'Before Battle' on match day after it was given to him by a trusted mentor.

"We did go through courses, but from where I got the product was someone who was kind of like a mentor and a family member for me.," Saad said.

"I had that much trust with him as if a coach had given me that product. It was exactly like I'd take it if the club had told me to."

"He actually didn't check if it was banned or not and I didn't either because it came from him."

Saad says he will use 2014 to prepare himself for a return to the AFL.

"Something went wrong and now I've got to deal with it and look to the future," he said.

"I want to make this year a foundation for me to build on so that whether I do come back and play a year or five, at least I've got something that I've actually set up in this year."

Ahmed Saad says he is determined to make it back after copping an 18-month ban taking a banned stimulant.

Saad landed himself in trouble by consuming an energy drink on a match-day.

"I wish I had checked from the start, and that's a bit of ignorance from myself, being new in the system," he said.

"I've never had an (alcoholic) drink in my life, let alone take drugs, but it was a mistake that I take full responsibility for.

"I don't think I'm a drug cheat, or took it to enhance my performance or anything like that."

Ahmed Saad is suspended for 18 months by an AFL Tribunal for taking a prohibited stimulant earlier this year.

Despite not selecting Saad in the rookie draft, St Kilda pledge their support to Saad as he serves his suspension.

"Saad understands and accepts the club's decision and he will continue to receive ongoing support and assistance from the club while he serves his 18 month suspension," a statement released by the club said.

"The 24-year-old's welfare is of paramount importance and he will be in regular contact with St Kilda Football Club on this basis as he strives to return to the AFL for the 2015 season."

Ahmed Saad says he still feels like a Saint despite being delisted by the club.

"The players, the staff and the coaches have all given me support and called me pretty much every day to make sure I'm OK, and most importantly make sure that my welfare and actual health is fine," Saad said.

"It was a tough day to know that I got delisted but it is something that we did speak about and there are plans to go forward.

"The plan is hopefully they (St Kilda) can pick me up in the rookie draft and if everything goes OK I can be back playing next year and the year after."

Ahmed Saad is delisted by the Saints as he faces a maximum two-year ban from the game for taking a prohibited stimulant earlier this year.

The Saints cut the 24-year-old ahead of Thursday's list lodgement deadline but could still place him on their rookie list, pending the result of the anti-doping Tribunal he faced last Wednesday.

The club said it would continue to work with Saad as he waits on a possible penalty, with list manager Ameet Bains acknowledging the unique circumstances surrounding the small forward.

"Ahmed and the club are waiting on a conclusion to his hearing before the Tribunal and we will work closely with him during and after that process," Bains said.

Ahmed Saad faces the anti-doping Tribunal and will learn his penalty for taking a prohibited stimulant before the end of the year.

Ahmed Saad is provisionally suspended by the Saints and will not play again this season after his 'B' sample returns positive.

"The matter will be determined before the AFL tribunal at a date to be fixed," a statement from St Kilda said.

"Ahmed will not be available for selection for the remaining two matches of the AFL home and away season and will continue to co-operate with the AFL and ASADA as necessary throughout this process."

Former Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority boss Richard Ings says Ahmed Saad had every right to play while being investigated by the AFL for submitting an irregular drug sample.

"The benefit of the doubt is given to the player and they are allowed to play until an anti-doping tribunal decides to impose a sanction against them," Ings said.

"A positive test for a specified substance might attract a ban of weeks to a couple of months, depending on the circumstances.

"So if you provisionally suspend someone, they may actually be provisionally suspended longer than the actual ban would have been."

Ahmed Saad is a late inclusion against the Lions in a move which creates waves throughout the AFL media world.

Saad was not originally named in the Saints' 25-man squad on Thursday, but was rushed to Brisbane as an emergency replacement for Trent Dennis-Lane on Friday night.

He was then inserted to the starting 18 on the day of the match to replace the ill Jack Newnes, allegedly due to a gastro bug.

Saad was named on Wednesday as being under investigation by the AFL for an alleged breach of the anti-doping code for taking a substance permitted for use "out of competition."

"We pick our side and like every club we have the opportunity to change emergencies as we go," St Kilda coach Scott Watters said.

"The process ... is AFL approved and we followed that to the letter.

"The reason why Jack Newnes, Trent Dennis-Lane, Seb Ross, who were emergencies, don't play, is they were crook as dogs for 24-48 hours."

Ahmed Saad is surprisingly named as an emergency for the Saints' clash with the Brisbane Lions as he awaits the results of his B sample.

Bachar Houli says he will offer his support to fellow Muslim and multicultural ambassador Ahmed Saad as the young Saint deals with an alleged breach of the AFL's illicit drugs code.

"I'll be the brother I have been and I'll support him from that perspective of a brother," Houli said.

"I have had a lot to do with him. I speak to him every two weeks."

St Kilda reveal that Ahmed Saad is the player at the centre of a banned substances investigation by the AFL.

"Ahmed is surprised and extremely disappointed to find himself in this position, after returning a positive sample to a substance alleged to be on the prohibited list in the AFL Anti-Doping Code," the club said.

"The product suspected is permitted for use out of competition but is not allowed to be used in competition.

"The club is bound by confidentiality under the AFL Anti-Doping code and as a consequence cannot make further comment at this time."

Ahmed Saad's long run-up when lining up for goal draws ridicule from commentators who suggest he should get his own marching band to play a tune during the event.

Ahmed Saad makes his AFL debut for St Kilda at the MCG with 5 disposals (2 kicks and 3 handballs), 2 tackles and a goal in a 35-point loss to Hawthorn.

St Kilda goal sneak Stephen Milne has taken new small forwards Ahmed Saad and Terry Milera under his wing.

"I try and pass on what I've learned over the past 10 or 11 years," Milne said.

"It's only been three months so it's only been short-term at the moment but Saady and I have become pretty close over the last couple of months and hopefully that can continue and I can pass on my wealth of experience."

New Saint Ahmed Saad said a best on ground performance in the VFL made him realise he could reach the top level one day.

"I played on Brennan Stack from the Bulldogs and I kicked five on him. After that I was pretty confident," Saad said.

"I've only been playing for four or five years and … with the experienced coaching and full-time training [at AFL level] I've got a lot of improvement to make."