ASADA is appealing against the 18-month ban the AFL Tribunal gave Saad and is believed to want the maximum two-year suspension.
The Tribunal suspended Saad for testing positive to Methyl Synephrine HCL, which was in an energy drink he took before an AFL match earlier this year.
Saad has since admitted he'd taken the product previously on game days, unaware it was prohibited.
The AFL issued a statement on Thursday saying ASADA had notified them of their intention to appeal the finding which was handed down on November 26 and the AFL Appeals Board will now sit at a date to be fixed.
Saad could follow the path of VFL player Matthew Clark, who is serving a two-year ban for taking a similar substance. His original penalty of nine months was increased after ASADA appealed.
Delisted by St Kilda last month, Saad's ban was backdated to August which makes the 24-year-old forward eligible to play in the AFL in 2015 if a club gives him a chance.
He played 29 games for the Saints after being drafted as a mature age recruit.
Former ASADA boss Richard Ings criticised the appeal on Twitter, saying that Saad's ban was sufficient and the doping body should concentrate on other priorities.
ASADA are currently investigating Essendon AFL club and Cronulla NRL club for possible use of performance-enhancing drugs.
"I don't know the exact facts of all the cases but general rule is that 18-24 month bans are a win where no intent to dope existed," Ings tweeted.
"This is a case that I would put in the win column and move on to completing other more important matters."
