Port Adelaide midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper to miss third AFL match despite ‘no evidence of indecent assault’

PORT Adelaide midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper will miss a third AFL match despite his club insisting he did not sexually or indecently assault a university student at a city nightclub.

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PORT Adelaide midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper will miss a third AFL match despite his club insisting he did not sexually or indecently assault a university student at a city nightclub.

Powell-Pepper, 20, was jeered during his return to competitive football on Wednesday when he had 24 possessions for the Magpies in their 25-point SANFL loss to Sturt at Unley.

He will complete his AFL ban — for inappropriate off-field behaviour — by missing the Power’s clash against North Melbourne on Saturday.

The AFL on Wednesday closed its 16-day investigation by finding Powell-Pepper guilty of excessive drinking in public and “inappropriate contact with a female” after claims made by a 20-year-old university student about his behaviour at Mr Kim’s nightclub.

Sam Powell-Pepper during the Sturt v Port Adelaide SANFL match at Unley Oval. Picture: Matt Turner

Port Adelaide chief executive Keith Thomas is already emphasising the investigation did not find Powell-Pepper had to answer any charge of sexual or indecent assault.

Port Adelaide will on Thursday present its version of Powell-Pepper’s actions in the hours after the club’s home win against Brisbane on April 7.

“Of most importance to Sam, the AFL Players’ Association and the Port Adelaide Football Club, was the AFL’s finding that there was no evidence or suggestion of sexual or indecent assault, as has been speculated by some media outlets throughout the investigation,” Thomas said.

“We are looking forward to discussing these issues in some detail. This has been a difficult investigation for all involved.

“We acknowledge that it has taken longer to reach a conclusion than preferred and both Sam and the club acknowledge Sam’s behaviour was inappropriate and accept the penalty.

“However, there were many elements to this incident that needed to be fully understood before a decision could be fairly reached.”

The AFL ruled: “Powell-Pepper engaged in inappropriate behaviour that is unbecoming for an AFL player by being intoxicated in a public place and by making inappropriate contact with a female.

Powell-Pepper in action for Port Adelaide against Sturt on Wednesday. Picture: Matt Turner

“Given media commentary and other reporting in this matter, the AFL also note that it has made no other findings.”

Powell-Pepper’s ban includes the two AFL games he has missed already — against Essendon and Geelong. The call on whether he plays for the Power against West Coast in Perth on Saturday week will be made on his on-field form and mental state.

Under the AFL-SANFL interchange rule, Port Adelaide was compelled to field Powell-Pepper because he was both fit and eligible to play after the AFL did not deregister him.

Magpies coach Matthew Lokan described Powell-Pepper’s presence in the SANFL team on Wednesday as “great for our group”.

“It was fantastic for our guys. ‘Pep’ is a really popular guy in our group and to be able to have him in our team gave our young guys a lift,” he said.

“He’s a second-year player himself and he’s friends with a lot of guys that are second and third-year players on our list.

“I don’t know a hell of a lot of what went on and the reasons behind playing today, I got the phone call today saying he was available to play for us.”

Asked what sort of mental state Powell-Pepper was in before the game, Lokan replied that he was focused.

The AFL declared it had kept Powell-Pepper eligible for state league action — a ruling that bewildered the SANFL — in the same way it allowed Richmond premiership defender Nathan Broad to play AFL pre-season and VFL games last month while serving a three-game ban for an off-field issue.