ADAM Saad will depart IKON Park after six seasons in the Navy Blue.
A northside local, Saad grew up near Carlton in Brunswick West, playing for the Calder Cannons and Coburg, famously growing up next door to Blues great Ang Christou.
He now leaves the Club having earned his name on the No.42 locker forever, after making 110 appearances in the Navy Blue.
Saad’s trademark speed and dash off half back, coupled with the famous "woof", made him a favourite among the Carlton faithful.
After 109 games with the Gold Coast and Essendon, he landed at IKON Park as one of the best small defenders in the game, bringing an immediate injection of breathtaking speed, elite ball use and proven defensive brilliance.
He carried that reputation with him to the Blues with a consistency that saw him miss just one game in his first three seasons at the Club.
Through his six seasons Saad became a dependable presence in Carlton's back six, with his ability to read the play and rebound out of defensive 50 qualities that would culminate in a career-best season in 2022, when he was named an All-Australian defender.
He then backed that up the following year, playing in all but one game in 2023, and being a pivotal figure in Carlton's march towards a preliminary final.
The 2025 season brought with it two milestones for the defender, running out for his 100th Carlton game in a clash with North Melbourne in Round 15 and earning his name on the locker, whilst also playing his 200th AFL game in a clash with West Coast in Gather Round.
Adopting the "woof" in 2022, Saad continued a long-valued Carlton tradition that previously saluted Val Perovic and Ang Christou, becoming a staple of match days for Blues fans.
Saad's dash from defence was elite, ranking No.1 in the AFL for bounces per game six times across his career (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2024).
His impact off the field has also been just as significant. Saad relaunched the Adam Saad Pathways when he joined the Blues, giving young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds opportunities to develop on and off the field, with almost 750 kids engaged since it began.
His community work earned him the Tom Hafey Award in 2021, and he was nominated for the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award during his time at Carlton.
Saad expressed his gratitude for his time as a Blue.
"As a kid growing up just down the road from Carlton, I never took it for granted that I got the chance to play for this club in front of our incredible supporters," Saad said.
"The 'woof' became something really special to me, and I want to say a huge thank you to all the Carlton community for embracing me from day one.
“I leave this club so grateful for the experience I’ve had, the friendships I’ve made and will now work through what the next chapter looks like for me.”
On behalf of the football club, Carlton General Manager of Football Chris Davies paid tribute to Saad's contribution to Carlton.
"Adam was a real difference maker for our football club during his time, both with the way he played and the way he carried himself," Davies said.
"His speed and ability to rebound out of defence gave our team so much drive. In the locker room, he had the perfect balance of professionalism and lending a hand to educate the younger players, whilst also being able to build meaningful friendships off the field.
“The connection he built with our supporters was something special. What he has done in the community through the Adam Saad Pathways has been remarkable and really tells you everything about the person he is.
"He will always be welcome at IKON Park."
