Of all the Essendon players who have been implicated in rival moves recently, Adam Saad’s bomb request would have done the most harm to bomber fans.
Joe Daniher and Orazio Fantasia may have been at the club longer, but Saad’s likely loss goes deeper than the aforementioned two strikers who, unlike Saad, are still weighing their footballing futures.
Saad has been a reliable and brilliant player for the Bombers since joining the Gold Coast Suns. He has played 61 out of a possible 62 games, finishing fourth, third, and third on the three best and fairest counts he has participated in.
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The 26-year-old had a career-best season in 2020 with an average of 18.9 departures and a place among the top 10 players in the league.
In addition to being one of the Bombers’ top players for the past three seasons, Saad has also been one of the most popular among supporters. His intoxicating shot and challenge for the center-back have given fans great joy and a real reason to watch their club’s games with excitement, while his humble public demeanor has earned him great respect.
Saad leaves Dons: No surprise
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What really hurts is that Saad Carlton – one of the bombers’ biggest AFL arch-rivals – has asked for a deal. Should this blues deal come off, he’ll sign a deal worth around $ 650,000 a year over five seasons.
But foxfooty.com.au On Tuesday evening, it was reported that Saad’s Carlton deal will be roughly similar to that of the bombers. That hurts.
While the bombers and blues have been battling for Saad’s engagement in the past few weeks, Saad’s motives have become clearer.
This wasn’t a decision based on money or career security. Instead, Saad felt, as his colleague Tom Morris reported, burdened by a culture of negativity and not convinced of the future direction – both for him as a player and for the club as a collective.
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Bomber star Tim Watson put it on short and sweet SEN breakfast on Wednesday: “He has lost confidence where the club is going.”
Instead, Saad intends to join a club and believes he’s more confident about his individual role – Saad was frustrated with lockdown defensive jobs at Essendon but would likely get a license to run and attack in the blues – and a team that is trending in a different direction than the bombers.
Because the blues passed the bombers on the “Premiership Clock”.
The bombers, who will have a new senior trainer in Ben Rutten from next season, have been in the finals lately, finishing seventh, eleventh and eighth on the AFL rankings between 2017 and 2019. That season, however, the bombers fell back to 13th place on the ladder with worryingly the third worst percentage in the competition (79.2%).
Conversely, Carlton has not played a final since 2013. That season, however, he finished 11th with a percentage of 94.3, skipping Essendon for the second time in seven seasons (eight seasons if you include 2013 when the bombers missed the final) AFL punishment for the 20212- Supplementary saga).
Looking at the profile of the two clubs, it’s like Saad jumping off a sinking ship that’s lost sight of its destination and joining a cruise that is safely heading in its direction.
And for Essendon fans this is probably the bitterest pill to swallow.
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Now all eyes turn to bomber list boss Adrian Dodoro to see what Saad deal he can get with Carlton and how he deals with other list calls when a dreaded exodus looms
The general consensus is that Daniher, who is no longer on a contract, is likely to leave the club. Brisbane is well placed to secure its services. Any significant move on a Daniher-Brisbane platoon has been delayed, likely due to the fact that the Lions are in the middle of a promising finals.
Fantasia is still under contract with the Bombers but has completed independent medical tests and passed the results on to the two South Australian clubs. Most expect him to land in Port Adelaide.
You aren’t the only two players whispering in the trade.
Utility company Brayden Ham has met with preliminary interest from rivals seeking players with clout. He was supposed to stay but lose him at the helm of Saad and Conor McKenna who have returned to Ireland and it would leave Essendon a significant speed gap.
Defenseman Martin Gleeson, who is a free agent, is also reportedly open to pursuing his AFL career elsewhere should he seek long-term contract security. AFL Media Gleeson was “more than open” to looking for opportunities elsewhere, and other clubs would likely lure him with an extension of two or three years.
And then there is Zach Merrett. Although they know they are unlikely to get the star midfielder out of Essendon this year, Merrett has piqued the interest of at least three rivals. While Merrett is under contract with the Bombers until the end of 2021, where he is eligible for a free agency, it hasn’t stopped the clubs from circling him in a clear example of “pre-agency”.
The big hope that Essendon fans can hold on to is that their club could step into the 2020 draft with one of the league’s healthiest hands.
The natural first round bomber pick is pick 6. You could add pick 7, Carlton’s natural first round player, to that move should Dodoro manage to convince the Blues that the pick must be part of a Saad deal.
And should Daniher leave, the bombers would get a free choice of agency compensation. Where that lands depends on the offer Daniher gets from his potential new club, but it will likely be in either the first or second round.
That hand would give Essendon a solid foundation to rebuild – and all the indications are that this approach is the only way forward.
Because it looks like several bomber players are going to leave. And for one of their best and best in form to choose Carlton – who hasn’t played a final in seven years – as his preferred target, Essendon must be concerned.
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