Saad El-Hawli will become the latest great story of never giving up on your dream when he makes his AFL debut for Essendon against Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium on Thursday.
El-Hawli, 23, was an aspiring small forward who managed just one goal in five VFL matches with Werribee in 2022, but the Altona and Western Jets product wasn’t prepared to quit.
He moved to the Northern Bullants in 2023, where he kicked 11 goals in 14 matches, before putting in a gut-busting off-season and reinventing himself as a dashing half-back.
The result was instantaneous.
He dominated the first half of the 2024 season, almost doubling his disposal output from 13.9 to 25.8 in eight games while still sneaking forward to boot five goals.
It pricked the attention of several clubs, but it was the Bombers who grabbed him at pick No. 13 in the 2024 Mid-Season Draft.
He had 25 disposals in his first game for Essendon against the Box Hill Hawks and backed it up with 27 and four goals against Carlton the week after to bang down the door for a debut, only for an ankle injury to rule him out for nine weeks.
Returning with 21 and three goals in round 20 and 27 and one goal in round 21 to end the season, it was only a matter of time before he got his chance at AFL level.
And he received the news of his debut on Wednesday morning, almost exactly 10 months on having been drafted.
Bomber fans have every reason to be excited.
