SAM POWELL-PEPPER will play his 100th AFL game in Friday night’s Round 8 game against the Western Bulldogs.
A hard-working contested bull, Powell-Pepper has added consistency to his game in 2022, and remains one of the more popular players among his teammates.
Here are some numbers to help you impress your friends about the 24-year-old’s career so far:
18 – Touted as a ready-made big-bodied midfielder, Powell-Pepper was claimed by Port Adelaide from East Perth in the WAFL with pick 18 in the 2016 AFL National Draft. Port Adelaide also claimed Todd Marshall at pick 16, Joe Atley at pick 32 and Willem Drew at pick 33 that year.
166 – Powell-Pepper was the 166th player to represent Port Adelaide at AFL level. His club debut came in a 28-point win over Sydney at the SCG in Round 1 2017. The then teenager finished with 19 disposals and two goals. He played 22 games that season, winning 13 of them.
61.62 – Powell-Pepper’s winning percentage in his 99 games.
55 – Powell-Pepper has booted 55 goals in his 99 games so far including seven in seven games this season. His best individual haul is three goals, achieved twice – in Round 11, 2021 against Fremantle and in Round 2, 2022 against Hawthorn. He has also recorded 70 behinds in his 99 games.
8 – Powell-Pepper has polled just eight Brownlow Medal votes in his 99 games. He has polled at least one vote each season he has played except in 2021 when he didn’t get a single vote from the umpires.
53 – Friday night’s game will be Powell-Pepper’s 54th match at Adelaide Oval, by far the venue he has played at the most. He has played in 32 wins and 21 losses there. He has played eight games at each of the Gabba and Docklands and seven at each of the MCG and Carrara on the Gold Coast.
10 – Adelaide is the team Powell-Pepper has faced the most, having played the Crows ten times for a five-win, five loss record. The only other side he has played more than six times is Brisbane, which he has faced on eight occasions.
0 – Powell-Pepper has never played in a losing game against Sydney or Gold Coast. After winning his debut game against the Swans, he has played in a further four wins against them, while he has had six straight victories over the Suns.
14 – Powell-Pepper’s 99 games have come at 14 different venues including at Jiangwan Stadium in Shanghai (three games, three wins), the SCG (two games, two wins), Cazaly’s stadium in Cairns and Subiaco in Perth (one game and one win each).
4 – Powell-Pepper has won four of his six games against this week’s opponent the Western Bulldogs. He averages 15 disposals and two goals against the Dogs.
Sam Powell-Pepper
DOB: 08/01/98
Games: 99
Goals: 55
Draft: #18, 2016 National Draft
Debut: Round 1, 2017 v Sydney, SCG
AFL Honours
- Rising Star Nominee (Round 1, 2017)
- AFLPA 22Under22 team (2018, 2020)
Club Honours
- Gavin Wanganeen Medal (2017)