Sam Powell-Pepper in MRO trouble for huge bump on Mark Keane

Sam Powell-Pepper’s ugly hit on Crow Mark Keane will come under scrutiny by the Match Review Officer, but the Power hard nut may still play in his side’s second pre-season hit-out next week even if hit with a ban.

Port Adelaide star Sam Powell-Pepper will find out his fate on Monday for his high bump that left Adelaide key defender Mark Keane concussed.

But he could still feature in the Power’s pre-season game against Fremantle on Friday with it expected the likely ban to only apply for home-and-away games.

The Power leadership group member caught the Crows Irish key defender high during the first term of match simulation between the two fierce rivals at Alberton on Friday evening.

Keane was being tackled by Willie Rioli as Powell-Pepper elected to bump the Crow.

With the AFL making it clear players who opt to bump have a duty of care to the opposition, Powell-Pepper is staring down a delayed start to the season with a ban likely.

While the pre-season hitout was not technically an AFL sanctioned match, it has been confirmed that the match review officer procedures will be followed with Powell-Pepper’s fate to be found out on Monday.

Mark Keane of the Crows tackled by Willie Rioli of the Power as Sam Powell-Pepper cannons into him. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images.

Because it was match simulation and not a sanctioned game, clubs were still unsure of how the process would play out on Saturday.

There were also questions about whether it would apply for the Power’s pre-season game against the Dockers at Alberton on Friday or if it would only cover matches for premiership points.

But after a week in which Melbourne premiership player Angus Brayshaw had to retire from concussion Powell-Pepper is set for a delayed start to the season with the sanction expected to cover home-and-away games.

Powell-Pepper kicked two impressive goals to show just how valuable he is for Ken Hinkley’s side.

The Power’s barometer did cop a poke to the eye in the fourth term in a marking contest and had some blurred vision, which ended his game.

But on Saturday he was fine.

PLAYERS REMINDED OF BUMP RISK AFTER UGLY SPP HIT

Port Adelaide players will be reminded of the risks of electing to bump as star Sam Powell-Pepper faces a likely delayed start to the season due to suspension.

Powell-Pepper has come under fire after opting to bump Adelaide defender Mark Keane in an act which left the Irishman concussed.

Keane was caught by Powell-Pepper in the first quarter of match simulation and played no furher part in the match.

In an ugly incident, Powell-Pepper caught Keane high with a bump as he was being tackled.

The AFL has made it clear players who opt to bump have a duty of care to opposition, putting more onus on Powell-Pepper’s actions.

Port Adelaide assistant Chad Cornes said: “Obviously hate seeing those kind of collisions and how he was after it but I can’t comment on what Pepp did or didn’t do.”

Powell-Pepper looks to be in strife. Picture: Getty Images

Mark Keane has been ruled out of the rest of the match sim with concussion. Not a great look for Sam Powell-Pepper and his round 1 chances, just weeks after being elevated into Port Adelaide’s leadership group #AFLpic.twitter.com/XKGJfXknzw

— Matt Forrest (@mattforrest29) February 23, 2024

Asked if Power players would be reminded of their responsibility when attacking the ball, Cornes said: “Yeah we’ve been really big on coaching that all summer, we have had a huge focus on how we attack the ball and the body to try and limit some of the free-kicks that we gave away last year and that falls into that category.”

The bump from Powell-Pepper - who later copped a finger to the eye and suffered blurred vision - came after a slow start from the Power.

Port worked its way into the game and produced some moments that pleased Cornes and the coaching staff as both sides could not be separated on the scoreboard after four periods of the six-term match simulation.

“I thought all in all it was a good contest from both teams, they got the jump on us early and got on top of us at stoppage but we rectified that and showed some really good signs,” he said,

“We locked it in our forward half, I thought the pressure once the ball hit the ground for us across the whole ground was really strong and that was a huge focus going in.

“I thought the plans we saw going in worked pretty well for those first three to four periods.”

The Power take on Fremantle in their next pre-season match at Alberton on Friday.

Port plans to treat the match as a full rehearsal for round 1.

Originally published as Sam Powell-Pepper in MRO trouble for huge bump on Mark Keane