Wantaway Essendon defender Adam Saad is so determined to leave the Bombers he’s prepared to nominate for the draft if his old club play hardball on a trade.
It can be revealed Saad is prepared to follow the footsteps of Jack Martin 12 months ago if a trade between Essendon and Carlton can’t be agreed.
It’s understood the Blues are prepared to offer pick 7 to bring Saad to Princes Park, but the Bombers may well seek more in the wake of Dons list boss Adrian Dodoro’s demands for “compelling compensation”.
The Saad camp already have mechanisms and plans in place for a stalemate scenario, much like Martin’s protracted move last year.
While other clubs will have earlier picks than the Blues, they are the only club Saad is willing to meet with and potential poachers aren’t going to splash on a five-year, $650,000 deal without sitting down with Saad and completing a medical, especially when the defender doesn’t want to play there.
It comes as the blame game swirls around Saad’s decision to leave, followed quickly by Joe Daniher.
Bombers football boss Dan Richardson’s claims on SEN that the Blues made a “more compelling” offer was a stretch according to some after Essendon eventually came very close to matching Carlton’s deal.
More importantly, Saad was fed-up by what he felt had become a toxic environment at the club, with infighting and teammates openly swearing at each other on-field.
Richardson yesterday admitted players haven’t been willing to play the roles they’re assigned, but the irony is that’s one of the reasons Saad is leaving given he feels others didn’t accept their roles after he spent the bulk of the year deep in defence when he’s a running high half-back.
Essendon great Matthew Lloyd last night told Footy Classified his old club had its heads in the sand if it was looking to push this back on the players, while another great in Terry Daniher called for the club to complete a “good review” of its operations on SEN Breakfast.