Recently delisted Carlton defender Adam Saad has signed with the Northern Saints in the Essendon District Football League (EDFL) for 2027, marking his first move after his AFL exit.
Saad was farewelled by the Blues after six years of service, playing 110 games as a running defender. Gold Coast drafted him in 2015, and he also spent time at Essendon.
Saad was drafted from VFL outfit Coburg Lions.
"It's been a lot of chats and conversations," Saad said.
"Firstly, I'm grateful for being able to play 12 years at AFL level. Now I'm looking forward to giving back to the community, grassroots footy.
"For me, it's not to come here and help on the field; it's to give back to the community, help the juniors on and off the field.
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"I feel like the Northern Saints are a big community club, and it's something I wanted to be involved in.
"I know I played a lot footy at AFL level, but we don't know everything. It's more the standards and strive for high performance, playing for each other.
"We're all about standards and driving high performance, but we're going to have fun and enjoy the process as well."
The Saints finished second-last in the EDFL's Division 2 in 2026 with just four wins.
Saad finished with 219 AFL games across three clubs, whilst earning an All-Australian blazer in 2022.
More to come.
