St Kilda small forward Ahmed Saad has attributed his breakthrough debut season in the AFL to the coaching staff at the Saints – with a tip of the hat to his junior soccer mentors in his home country of Egypt.

Saad, 22, booted four goals in Saturday night’s 16.9 (105) to 14.8 (92) victory over Brisbane to bring his season tally to 17 after only picking up the Sherrin as a 16-year-old and forcing his way into VFL side Northern Bullants.

Before that he was a promising soccer player, with those skills showing on Saturday night as he rocketed the ball through the sticks on three occasions as they bounced awkwardly on the deck.

“It feels awesome,” he said.

“I played five years in Egypt so it definitely paid off.”

While St Kilda recruiters always knew he had the athletic ability to make it in the AFL, it has been his positional play and confidence that has soared throughout the season which Saad attributed to extra hours spent with coaching staff.

“It feels good because I’ve worked hard,” he said.

“The boys got the ball to ground and I was lucky enough to be in the right spots, but it’s just workrate.

“That’s something I’ve been working on with the coaches, getting to the right positions and working up the ground and back to get to the forward ball.”

Saad wasn’t the only young Saint who shone in the fierce contest with the Brisbane Lions, with 19-year-old 2010 draft pick Arryn Siposs keeping his cool to kick two goals – including one that played a huge role in winning the match.

Coach Scott Watters was full of praise for his young forwards, as well as debutant Sam Dunell who was brought into the team to replace Jack Steven who is serving a club-imposed one-match suspension for drink-driving.

“We probably looked our most dangerous, I think, with our small forwards,” he said.

“I thought their key defenders were very good … but obviously Saady had an impact.

“I thought Siposs did some good things, Sammy Dunell coming on after halftime in his first game I thought did some really mature things as well.

“So I’m really pleased with their development, I’m pleased that they were playing in that sort of contest which was a tough contest.”