SAM MAYES has created a habit of being involved when the whips are cracking including late in Port Adelaide’s win over Sydney on Saturday evening.

With the Swans holding a four-point lead and all of the momentum deep in the last quarter, Port Adelaide forced the ball forward to debutant Dylan Williams who slowed the play til Mayes and teammate Steven Motlop were in position, then arrowed the ball inside 50.

Mayes somehow grabbed the ball off the pack and bounced the ball through the big sticks to give his side back the lead.

Ruckman Scott Lycett would seal the win with a goal off one step from a tight angle under pressure to put Port inside the competition’s top four.

Mayes had been the medical substitute and only came on in the last quarter when Trent McKenzie went off injured in the heat of the momentum swing, forcing him to get up to speed pretty quickly.

But what many may not have realised was that Mayes had earlier played half a game in the SANFL, getting a call at half time to leave Prospect Oval, where he had racked up 13 touches in trying conditions, to replace Hamish Hartlett, who had suffered a hip injury in the warm-up.

“It was interesting,” Mayes said of his afternoon. “Not the preparation you’d probably prefer to have but at half time of the SANFL I just got called by Kenny and he said “mate, you’re in” and Hartlett was the one to come out.

“So I was straight from Prospect Oval to Adelaide Oval and then I sat there for three quarters.

“I was thinking it might not be my night and I might sit the night off but 'Cannon' (McKenzie) hurt his shoulder a bit and was unlucky so I just came on and cracked in and was lucky enough to get a little snap in there at the end.”

It was a special moment for Mayes, who recently became a father to son Cooper, in his fifth AFL game of the year and not his first time being involved in the match-winning play for the Power.

Mayes was also involved in delivering the ball to Robbie Gray before his game-winning after-the-siren goal against Carlton at the Gabba last year in Mayes’ first game for the club.

The 27-year-old said going from sitting on the pine to being thrown into on a high-intensity contest was “definitely a challenge” but he was happy to help the side get the win over Sydney.

“It’s a difficult spot to be in but the message from Bass (assistant coach Nathan Bassett) on the phone was just to crack in and strike up on their winger and I just tried to apply as much pressure as possible,” Mayes said.

“The heat was on and Sydney had hit the front so I just tried to do what I could, crack in and get myself into some good spots.

“Kicking the goal to put us in front and get us in a position to win the game there was just a lot of excitement.

“It was just an arm wrestle for the whole game. Sydney played a really good style of footy and it was obviously really wet so there were a lot of contested-type stuff and a lot of stoppage but it’s good to win those arm-wrestle ones.”

Mayes nearly had a second chance to ice the game late but his set shot faded late to register a behind.

The Port Pirie product is now planning to sit in on both AFL and SANFL reviews this week but said he enjoyed helping with the development of the young players in the state competition – pointing to the example of AFL debutant Williams who showed glimpses of what he can do with his few touches against the Swans.

Williams finished with seven disposals, three tackles and two score involvements in what will be a memorable debut for the 19-year-old.

“Dyl just competes. He’s got such natural talent,” Mayes said of Williams.

“I’ve seen a lot of him in the SANFL this year and he can light it up in a five-minute patch and kick goals.

“He’s always kicked goals for us at SANFL level and he’s going to be one to watch because he’s very talented.”

Mayes and the rest of the Port Adelaide players and staff will be required to isolate for 48 hours and then return a negative COVID-19 test result before being allowed to resume their daily activities under strict SA Health protocols as part of the exemption granted to Sydney to travel into Adelaide for the game.