Powell-Pepper was born in Perth, the son of Maureen and Steven. His mother is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and his father is caucasian.[1][2][3] He has two full siblings and two half-brothers. His parents separated when he was young and he lived with his father until he was eight, then spent periods with his paternal grandmother, his mother, and friends' families.[4]
Powell-Pepper initially attended Mount Lawley Senior High School as an inaugural member of the school’s Aboriginal Excellence Program, before switching to Wesley College on an indigenous scholarship.[5] He went to school with Quinton Narkle who is his second cousin. He also attended school with other future AFL players Shai Bolton and Cameron Zurhaar.[6] He played junior football for the Mt Hawthorn Cardinals.[7]
In 2016, Powell-Pepper made his senior debut for the East Perth Football Club during round 20 of the 2016 WAFL season going on to play all the remaining games for the year.[8]
AFL career
Powell-Pepper was drafted by the Port Adelaide Football Club with their second selection and eighteenth overall in the 2016 national draft. He made his AFL debut in Port Adelaide's twenty-eight point win against Sydney in the opening round of the 2017 season at the Sydney Cricket Ground.[9] He was named that round's AFL Rising Star nominee after kicking two goals in the match, the first with his first kick in AFL football.[10] In a game against Melbourne, he recorded 17 tackles, beating the club's previous record which was 16.
Statistics
Statistics are correct to the end of round 24, 2023[11]
^The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
