The month of Ramadan has just finished and this year’s Islamic holy month holds extra significance inside the four walls of the Gold Coast SUNS due to the relatively new presence of Adam Saad.
Since arriving in southern Queensland via selection number seven in last December’s rookie draft, Saad has left an emphatic footprint on our game in a short amount of time.
Not only have his breathtaking, ambitious runs out of the backline captivated the football world, but the fact he is just the third Muslim to play football at the highest level is also a sign of the AFL’s connection with multiculturalism.
In Australian society, the month of Ramadan is most commonly associated with fasting. And whilst the consumption of drink and food between dawn and dusk is prohibited, Ramadan focuses on connecting with god, on giving back to the community and focusing on discipline and self-control.
For elite athletes, Ramadan presents a number of challenges due to their sporting requirements; both from a physical stand point and a nutritional one. Not being able to consume the appropriate food at the right time or being able to rehydrate during vigorous exercise can be extremely difficult.
Although it is a testing time, particularly for professional footballers like rookie revelation Saad, planning is the key. Workloads must be managed effectively as well as dietary intake. The when and where becomes pivotal during a time when energy levels are depleted, making the athlete susceptible to injury and poor performance.
After recently completing his first Ramadan as an elite athlete, a reflective Saad praised his new club for accommodating his requirements during a testing time. The VFL product explained how, in consultation with the club nutritionist Benita Lalor, the club methodically managed his workloads and his fuel intake to help him get through the month.
“We’ve set out a program of certain times when to eat and what I eat at certain times and when I train I get my loads managed. I’ll do one drill and then get pulled out of another one,” Saad told SUNS TV.
“We’ve really managed it, and obviously today’s the last day, so it’s gone well, it’s gone according to plan.
“The club's been so good to me. We’ve put out a program and all that sort of stuff and on our main sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays we usually train and do skills and then do gym afterwards.
“I get managed through skills, go home have a nap and then break my fast and then come that night and finish my gym.
“Even the boys and the coaches, they’ve really embraced it. They’ve asked me questions and they just had a feast just then, they’ve really embraced it so it’s been good.”
One factor that can’t be underestimated when assessing how difficult the month was on Saad is the fact he now lives more than 2000km away from his family.
Not being able to share the process with those closest two him was his biggest difficult, but it is a small sacrifice he has to make to chase his dream; a dream that appeared out of reach for some time.
“I guess the big factor that’s changed is not being able to break my fast with family. I think that’s been my biggest challenge. I speak to them most days and we just talk and that really takes my mind off things,” Saad said.
As the first Muslim to ever play football in the AFL, Richmond rebounding defender Bachar Houli has been one of the game’s multicultural ambassadors for a long time now.
Despite his standing in the game, Houli has still been the victim of several race based slurs, but has risen above the rot to be one of the best role models in the game, particularly for the Muslim community.
When Saad was recruited by Gold Coast late last year, Houli immediately reached out to the mature-aged rookie. Since that first point of contact, Saad has remained in touch with Houli, picking his brains on how to mesh football with his faith.
At 27, Houli has experienced his two worlds colliding for close to a decade now, with his past experiences providing invaluable advice for Saad during his first Ramadan as an AFL footballer.
“I spoke to him briefly beforehand (prior to Ramadan). I try to speak to Bachar every month, try and pick his brain. Ali Fahour as well works at the AFL, he’s been a big influence as well,” Saad said.
“I just told Bachar how he went about it, he’s pretty similar as well so I think they (Richmond) let him go home and do gym after hours.
“I think that’s helped me because he’s been in the system so long, it works for him and I’ve tried that and I’ve added some things in that I usually add in to my routine and it’s helped me, its worked.”
Like a feather in the wind, Saad has weaved in and out of traffic all season, leaving football followers across the country with their jaws on the ground.
But football is only one part of his story. It is a big part, and we have only seen a glimpse of what is to come. But it does not define him. With racism and ignorance common in society, Saad is a breath of fresh air. Someone capable of affecting change in a similar fashion to Houli.
