It has been a whirlwind couple of months for Adam Saad. The boy from Coburg in Melbourne’s inner north has gone from strength to strength on the back of an impressive debut pre-season at Metricon Stadium, which has culminated with a spot in Rodney Eade’s 22 to take on Melbourne on Saturday afternoon.
 
After being overlooked in three national drafts and a couple of rookie drafts, Saad’s story is quickly gathering momentum by the week. Under the tutelage of respected football coach Peter German in the VFL, Saad did all he could last season to not be ignored once again.
 
The 20-year-old admits his rapid ascension has been something like a fantasy. But the reality is, his path to the big time has encompassed more than his fair share of rejection and disappointments. And that’s before he’d even reached the brutal reality of league football.
 
“Obviously I’m happy and rapt I’ve been given the opportunity to play round one,” Saad told SUNS TV on Thursday afternoon.
 
“But you get time to think when you’re home and I have the last couple of days – it’s still a bit surreal that I’m playing this week but I’m looking forward to it.

Five SUNS debutants confirmed for Saturday

“It’s been a quick two months, obviously playing NAB, (then) playing all three NAB games, getting elevated two weeks ago.”
 
With dash and dare, Saad has captured the imagination of the football universe throughout the NAB Challenge series. His ability to cut angles at high speed and then use the ball with polish and class has already made him a fan favourite.
 
After being elevated to the senior list a couple of weeks ago, his selection for round one was imminent. With a smile almost permanently emblazoned across his face, Saad’s delight at being informed of his debut by Rodney Eade was hard to hide.
 
“Before training I was walking out on to the field and he grabbed me and he goes: ‘We’re confirming you’re playing this week’ and as soon as he said it I was just absolutely rapt, happy and excited for Saturday,” Saad said.
 
“Obviously I’ve got a massive family. When I broke the news to them they were happy and rapt and overwhelmed.
 
“There was a few tears around the house, they’re looking forward to Saturday. Probably 100 people are going to be there, well, I’ve got a hundred tickets.”