Scott Lycett and Sam Gray play first AFL game together — 10 years after they were Port Magpies teammates

One was a six-foot ruckman from Ceduna, the other a pint-sized ball magnet from Cleve. Ten years after they were Port Magpies teammates, Scott Lycett and Sam Gray ran out together for the Power on Saturday night.

Scott Lycett after Port’s 17-point loss to Brisbane on Saturday night. Picture: Dave Hunt (AAP).

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A Port Adelaide moment 10 years in the making culminated in Brisbane on Saturday night when Scott Lycett and Sam Gray played together for the first time at AFL level.

Both were recruited from Port Adelaide’s country zones as teenagers — Lycett a six-foot ruckman from Thevenard just outside of Ceduna and Gray a pint-sized midfield ball magnet from Cleve on the Eyre Peninsula.

Scott Lycett and Sam Gray in their junior days with Port Adelaide Magpies.

They had the same host family, went to the same school then moved in together and played state footy and in premierships at the Port Magpies.

They remained the best of mates when Lycett headed west to join the Eagles on his way to an AFL premiership while Gray hammered away with the Magpies to finally earn his spot on the Power list.

Although Lycett was a second round national draft selection in 2010 and Gray didn’t get his chance until the 2014 rookie draft, they are now separated by just one AFL game with Lycett on 78 and Gray on 77.

This year they’ve been reunited at Alberton and no one was happier than Gray when the deal to bring Lycett home from West Coast was done.

Lycett and Gray with the SA under-18 team.

“I was the middle man so I was always in the know,” Gray said with a laugh.

“Na, I was pretty happy when the deal got done and he was finally coming home, it was great.

“From under-14s we first got to know each other and we’ve always been close even when he was at West Coast, I was really happy for him to get that flag (last year) but it’s bloody good to have him back now.

“We came through juniors together and then lived together for two years and had the same dream of playing AFL.

“So to finally get to play together after 10 years is pretty cool and hopefully there’s more to come.”

That may, however, be short lived with Lycett expected to be cited by the AFL’s match review officer for his high bump on Brisbane’s Mitch Robinson in the last quarter on Saturday night.

Scott Lycett against the Lions. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Sam Gray has risen from the rookie list at Port to play 77 AFL games with the Power. Picture: Sarah Reed.

The man who recruited both of them from Port’s country zones — Tony Bamford who is now the state under-18 coach — remembers them from an early age.

“Sam was identified earlier than Scott. He played under 15s for Port Adelaide country as a 12-year-old and was very clean with his hands and able to kick on both feet,” Bamford said.

“He was also very competitive and with a little bit of cheekiness.

“Scott was a ruckman from an early age who could also go forward and still impact the game by taking marks.

“And when he was in the ruck he was like another midfielder, he was very clean with the footy, hunted the groundball and was very competitive — he hated losing.”

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