Saad Banned For 18 Months

The AFL tribunal has handed Ahmed Saad an 18-month ban.
The StKFC had this to say: we "will continue to provide the appropriate welfare support and assistance to Ahmed."  Not sure what that means.

I said last week that I suspected they would not ban him for more than one season, and thankfully they did not.  It doesn't appear they've levied any fines, but a loss of an entire season is plenty, in my view.  I do find it disappointing that Essendon players are being given a pass partly because they claim ignorance of what was going into their bodies and because none of them officially failed a drug test.  So I suppose there's not a lot the AFL can do to punish them.  Still, it feels little like the AFL is taking out some of it's frustration on Saad.  But what's done is done, and I'm glad Ahmed doesn't have to miss more than one season.

One move that is proving a good one was the decision to begin a provisional ban in August, since the AFL is willing to backdate the start of Saad's suspension to August 20.  So props to whomever made that call.

What remains to be seen is whether Saad will be able to train with StK during the suspension.  AFL.com is calling the punishment a ban, while StK is calling it a suspension.  Maybe those words are being used interchangeably, but the club hasn't committed to anything specific.  Saad has been omitted from the Colorado trip, which makes sense.  After that, we'll find out more.  I'd love to ask them about it next week.

It would be awesome to see Saad come back in 2015 and have a great career.  I firmly believe an example is being made of him, and I'd love to see him overcome it.