Sam Powell-Pepper doesn’t want sympathy despite childhood laced with sadness and abuse
SAM Powell-Pepper has made a seamless transition into AFL footy but what not many people know is his childhood was laced with sadness and abuse but he tells Mark Robinson he doesn’t want sympathy.
Port Adelaide
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SAM Powell-Pepper doesn’t want any sympathy.
But it’s difficult not to feel sympathetic because his story is incredible.
He says his life story is one of adaptability.
He’s from a broken family. His mum is Torres Strait Islander. His dad is white Australian. His story is laced with sadness and abuse and of being passed on from house to house, finding love and support when he could.
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Now 19, he’s a young fella of conviction and warmth. He can’t change the past, he says, but he’s hellbent on shaping his future and those of the people he loves.
“Hopefully, people are just proud of me, not sorry for me,” he said. “I don’t want anyone feeling sorry for me.”
When Powell-Pepper was drafted at pick No.18 in last year’s national draft, his mum was in prison in Perth.
She was locked up for several months at the end of 2016 and hated the place, not just because her freedom was denied, but because her mum died in the same prison many years before. Her mum’s demons became her demons.
Powell-Pepper visited her before he was drafted and by the time he returned to Perth for the Christmas break, she had been released.
“She was just making the wrong decisions,’’ he said.
The prison was sadly familiar. Powell-Pepper had already visited several people before his mother was locked up.
“It was a bit surprising to see my mum in there. She was pretty sad to be in there as well because her mum passed away in the same prison,” he said.
“She wanted to get out ASAP. Now, she’s behaving herself and I’m always talking to her, checking up and seeing how she is.’’
People measure the powerhouse Powell-Pepper on the field, but more importantly he measures himself off it.
“To be a leader is something I really want to do,’’ he said.
“I want to be a leader for indigenous kids, any kids who need inspiration or mentoring. That’s what I want to be known for and be there for.’’
Port Adelaide was worried about Powell-Pepper telling his story.
Was he ready mentally? Could he handle the world knowing? And Sunday is Showdown day.
They didn’t need to worry. Powell-Pepper the person, just like the footballer, is mature beyond his years.
He’s had more life experiences than most adults.
“I sure have,’’ he said, “I’ve probably seen a bit too much.
“But as I said, I’m past that. I know what’s wrong and what’s right as an adult and what I know what I want in life.
“I want my own family and bring them up right and make sure my niece and nephew has a good life as well.’’
Mum Maureen and dad Steven split early in Powell-Pepper’s life and he lived with his father until he was eight.
He and his brother Jacob then moved in with their grandmother, then in with Mum, then in with the DeLore family in Perth and while there he also bedded down occasionally at Wesley College and occasionally with his girlfriend Amy and her family.
Then he was drafted and now lives with a host family in Woodville, at the forefront being Tina Emes.
“I’m used to living in different houses, it hasn’t been too much of a fuss for me, I just settle in,’’ he said.
He has a sister Sally Anne, who is 21, and she has a daughter Lakietah and a son Chris.
He also has two half-brothers, Brodie and Jaxon.
His dad was a ruby player. Big and nasty. He was also a drinker and a drug-taker, according to Powell-Pepper.
“Most people would see it as a hard life, I just find I had to be adaptable and it’s made me the person I am today,’’ he said. “I just had to a lot of things by myself.’’
Living with Dad, he saw Mum “every now and then’’.
“I just wasn’t living with her and I dealt with that all right,” he said.
“It was more just putting up with dad. He was massive in size, a mean bloke.
“I love him to bits, he’s done right by me and done what he could. But he wasn’t in a right head space to raise kids, I guess.
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“My nan (dad’s mum) was sickened by how I was treated and she took me in.
“I was getting picked on, she saw what was happening and she took in me and my brother as well.’’
Picked on?
“My dad ... he was just an angry bloke, drinks and drugs and what not, just had a different ... yeah.’’
Suffer?
“Other people would say yes, but I saw it as normal I guess,” he said.
“I was picked on by Dad. I don’t know the reason because you don’t know what people are thinking when they’re on drugs, but he had something against me.
“I don’t hold that against him. I love him, he loves me and I just want everyone to be happy and get along and don’t hold grudges.
“Yeah, I don’t want grudges, I just want everyone to enjoy what’s happening right now. I’m doing this for everyone back home.’’
Mum’s life also was challenging. She was just 15 when her mum died in prison and her dad died soon after. She met Steve, had the boys, and then came the breakup.
“Mum has had her ups and downs, but she’s going good at the moment, which makes me happy,” he said.
“We talk every now and then. But I’m there mainly for my sister and my niece and nephew and my brother.
“Mum had dad and they split and then she had some boyfriends, who didn’t treat her well, which wasn’t good to see.
“I’m glad she’s all right now and I’m older enough to do something. If anyone touches my family ... back when I was young I wasn’t able to do anything.
“Mum and dad, they’re still good friends, that’s all right.’’
To look at Powell-Pepper play football is to look at a player who plays with controlled rage.
A favourite to win the Rising Star Award, which is given to the best young talent in first season, Powell-Pepper doesn’t back down from a contest nor an opponent.
He says his upbringing of having to repeatedly stand on his own two feet has materialised on the field.
This is no tough-guy image. This is how it is.
“I think it’s a big part of how I play my footy,’’ he said.
“As I said, I had to do a lot of things by myself, put up with a lot of stuff.
“I don’t take it out on people on the field, but what do you call it? Like, my aggression is towards the footy.’’
Moving home so many times as a little tacker, Powell-Pepper didn’t play Auskick and didn’t find his first club until he was 10.
Dad took him to Morley Bulldogs to play under-11s. The next year, he moved in with Nan and through school, found himself at the Mount Hawthorn Cardinals, where he played until his VCE year at Wesley.
From the Cardinals it was to East Perth, from where he was drafted.
At one stage, he lived in Midlands, the neighbourhood of Nic Naitanui, Chris Yarran and Michael Walters.
“We used to go crazy about Son Son (Walters),’’ he said.
“He used to play midnight basketball with us. He’s a wicked footy player.’’
At another stage, about aged 15, he lived with Karen and Greg DeLore who were the parents of a player at the Cardinals.
“She was one of the footy mums,’’ he said. “Nan and I had disagreements ... and Karen took me in.’’
It was about this age Powell-Pepper’s body began to take shape. He now stands 187cm and weighs 91kg, but at 15 and playing bottom-aged state schoolboys, he was a forward pocket “sneaking goals’’.
The next year, in the top age, he had a growth spurt and played centre-half-back.
The Western Australian teams will already rue overlooking Powell-Pepper in the draft.
At 18, Powell-Pepper played colts, reserves and six senior games for East Perth and, he says, Fremantle showed scant interest in him, while West Coast told him they would draft him.
The Dockers took Griffin Logue (No. 8) and the Eagles Daniel Venables (No. 13). Port Adelaide called Powell-Pepper’s name at pick 18.
He said he has no thoughts about returning to WA to play footy.
“I was ready for life away from home pretty much,’’ he said.
“I wasn’t thinking about coming home, I was about sticking with the club which gave me an opportunity and stay loyal.
“I didn’t expect an AFL club to be like Port Adelaide. They just don’t worry about the footy, they worry a lot about your personal life and they do as much as possible to make you happy.
“It’s like a brotherhood there. Also, the indigenous program helps a lot, Paul Vandenbergh runs them. He was actually one of the indigenous liaisons in the Flying Boomerangs in the under-15s.’’
Powell-Pepper has played every game this year, his first being against Sydney in Sydney.
On the day of the game he met Swans legend Michael O’Loughlin in the foyer of his hotel.
“We just had a chat. It was good, he wished me luck. It was an honour to meet him.’’
In Round 16 against West Coast, he organised his whole family, minus one of his half-brothers, to attend the game.
“It was a bit unreal to see everyone together, but it was good,’’ he said.
A new life with greater focus, forgiveness and acceptance, Powell-Pepper’s story is inspiring on many levels.
“A lot of people know about it already,’’ he said.
“I’m not ashamed of it. I guess my parents will be and at themselves for not being the parents they should’ve been.
“But I think they will understand people knowing and just be happy for me and what I’m doing now. I don’t really mind people knowing my story.’’
Originally published as Sam Powell-Pepper doesn’t want sympathy despite childhood laced with sadness and abuse
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