![]() He stepped away from Alberton at the start of the 2021 season. But when it became rough off the field, Powell-Pepper did become lost. ![]() ![]() Powell-Pepper could play tough on the football field - and deal with the consequences of ruffling feathers among bigger and older opponents. Some eagerly wanted to bury him, as noted during his AFL-imposed exit from the big stage for a long Saturday night on Hindley Street after a day game won by five points against Brisbane at Adelaide Oval early in the 2018 season. Powell-Pepper dug some of the pot holes himself. but he was not always glowing under stellar skies across the next three years leading up to his 100-game milestone in round eight last season. He had the AFL Rising Star nomination after that game. "And Ken (finished the challenge) with, 'That's all you have to do'."Ī post shared by Port Adelaide ⚡ played that season-opener at the SCG notably kicking two goals in the 28-point win against Sydney. It is just as many fans would expect from the kid who confidently threw his weight around the football field as one of the so-called "Bash Brothers" with Ollie Wines. Powell-Pepper did not blink nor hesitate at such an invitation to live his dream at the first chance. he welcomed me with open arms," says Powell-Pepper, "and I remember exactly what he said: "I met Ken for the first time when I came back to the club. He still carries a vivid recollection of his first training session in the 2016-17 summer at Grange Oval and the inspiring challenge (or opportunity) Hinkley put to him. And the memory does not fade amid all the mind-numbing moment Powell-Pepper has endured. Sam Powell-Pepper celebrates his first goal in his debut game - Round 1 vs Sydney, 2017. "It's been long (since that start in November 2016)," says Powell-Pepper of his seven years at Port Adelaide. Senior coach Ken Hinkley did not stray from his long-standing philosophy of giving elite young talent an early look at the big boys on the national stage. 18 pick in the 2016 AFL national draft came while list-management decisions at Alberton were focused (but not exclusively) on snaring experienced recruits such as Jack Watts, Tom Rockliff and Steven Motlop in the 2017 trade period. Powell-Pepper's call to Port Adelaide as the No. Everyone will go through that little (bad) patch. "If you have Kenny as a coach and these boys supporting you, it is easier to get through. But with time, you trust the process and it all falls into place as you build new confidence and belief. It does knock your confidence around a bit and your belief. and once you have one bad game, everyone goes against you. "You can build confidence so quickly by getting a couple of games in a row. But that chase for a regular AFL berth is a character test. The make-or-break way of a professional sporting career is not always about how you perform on the field. Powell-Pepper today can reflect with the wisdom of experience and hindsight of an AFL landscape that tests all. Sam Powell-Pepper is as tough - both physically and mentally - as he's ever been.
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