Port Adelaide’s Sam Powell-Pepper handed one-match club-imposed ban, will miss Essendon clash
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Port Adelaide’s Sam Powell-Pepper handed one-match club-imposed ban, will miss Essendon clash
Michelangelo Rucci, The Advertiser
April 11, 2018 7:07pm
Subscriber only
PORT Adelaide midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper’s club-imposed ban from this weekend’s AFL round is now confirmed after his alcohol-fuelled weekend breached team rules.
But neither the AFL nor the Power has yet closed the investigation into complaints from a young woman saying Powell-Pepper acted inappropriately in a city nightclub on Saturday night and early Sunday morning.
Powell-Pepper is strongly denying these allegations.
But the 20-year-old AFL Rising Star nominee cannot dismiss the concern from his teammates of his early morning drinking session on Adelaide’s city nightclub circuit. This has led to Powell-Pepper being banned for at least one AFL game, starting with Sunday’s clash with Essendon at Etihad Stadium.
Port Adelaide issued a statement this evening declaring: “It has been established that Powell-Pepper was intoxicated and broke the playing group’s time curfew on Sunday morning.
“The sanction means Powell-Pepper will miss Port Adelaide’s round four clash with Essendon this Sunday at Etihad Stadium.
“The AFL is continuing its investigations into an alleged incident involving Powell-Pepper in an Adelaide bar last Sunday morning.
“These investigations are ongoing.”
A 20-year-old university student told Port Adelaide officials on Monday she was inappropriately touched by Powell-Pepper — and he allegedly harassed other females at the Mr Kim’s nightclub off Hindley
CCTV vision from the Mr Kim’s nightclub off Hindley Street did not make for a case against Powell-Pepper.
Powell-Pepper breached the team curfew that demands Port Adelaide players leave social events to return home by 2am. There is CCTV vision of the West Australian stumbling on Hindley Street at 4am on Sunday, 11 hours after being part of the Power team that beat Brisbane by five points at Adelaide Oval.
Powell-Pepper was entitled to be enjoying alcohol by the team rule allowing social drinking when there are eight or more days between Power games — as there are in this case. But it is the level of Powell-Pepper’s drinking that has drawn the concern and wrath of the Port Adelaide leadership group.
Powell-Pepper was described by team leader Brad Ebert on Tuesday as being “rattled by the whole thing”. Club leaders now say the first-round draftee is in a “good” mental state.
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley is to speak at 2pm on Thursday at a media conference.