Sam Draper
Sam Draper (born 28 September 1998) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited by Essendon with the 1st draft pick in the 2017 AFL rookie draft.
| Sam Draper | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Draper in April 2026 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Sam Draper | ||
| Nicknames | Drapes, The Mullet, Timmy, Sam (loves a dart) Draper | ||
| Born |
28 September 1998 South Australia | ||
| Original team | South Adelaide (SANFL) | ||
| Draft | No. 1, 2017 AFL rookie draft | ||
| Debut | Round 9, 2020, Essendon vs. Brisbane Lions, at Carrara Stadium | ||
| Height | 205 cm (6 ft 9 in) | ||
| Weight | 105 kg (231 lb) | ||
| Position | Ruck | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Brisbane Lions | ||
| Number | 2 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2017–2025 | Essendon | 78 (43) | |
| 2026– | Brisbane Lions | 5 (3) | |
| Total | 83 (46) | ||
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 5, 2026. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Sam Draper (born 28 September 1998) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited by Essendon with the 1st draft pick in the 2017 AFL rookie draft.[1][2]
Early life
[edit]Draper was born in South Australia, but he lived in Brede in East Sussex for six years, where he enjoyed playing association football.[3]
Draper attended Reynella East College and played for South Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) for the 2016 season.[4]
AFL career
[edit]Essendon
[edit]Having initially played soccer throughout his youth, Draper switched codes to play Australian Rules Football in his final year of high school in 2016.[5] Draper played for South Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). Having only started playing the sport in February, Draper was drafted by the Essendon Football Club only 9 months later in the rookie draft to join the club for the 2017 AFL season.[6]
In 2019, while playing a match for Essendon's reserves team in the Victorian Football League (VFL), Draper tore his ACL.[7] He missed nearly 12 months of football in his recovery, but signed a four-year contract extension in August of 2019.[3]
Draper debuted in Round 9 of the 2020 AFL season in Essendon's 63-point loss against the Brisbane Lions.[3][8] On debut, Draper picked up 9 disposals, 2 marks and 2 tackles, and kicked a behind.[9] He quickly became a fan favourite through the remainder of the 2020 season due mostly to his extremely physical style of play and mullet hairstyle. He went on to play 8 games and win the club's Lindsay Griffiths Rising Star award at the conclusion of the season.[10]
Draped switched his number 38 guernsey for number 2 prior to the 2021 season. He suffered a syndesmosis injury in Round 2 of 2021 after a good start to the beginning of the season.[11] He was out of the team for 12 weeks before returning to the lineup in Round 14.[12]
Playing every game of 2022, a highlight came when Draper kicked Goal of the Year against Gold Coast in Round 18. Eddie Betts called it Goal of the Year during Fox Footy's live commentary.[13]
The following season, Draper was the target of controversy for an umpiring decision involving Adelaide forward Taylor Walker. Walker's tackle on Draper was not called holding the ball by the match officials in the dying seconds of the match. The AFL later conceded that the decision was an error.[14] Draper scored the opening goal in 2024's ANZAC Day draw with Collingwood, but did not play again until June after he underwent a knee surgery.[15]
Draper started the 2025 season in what he and the club described as "career best form",[16] forming a strong ruck partnership with Nick Bryan and spending plenty of time up kicking goals up forward. Draper caused a stir by choosing to snap kick all his set shots, even when directly in front of goal;[17] however, it proved highly successful, not missing any of his snaps across the first five rounds of the season.[18] However, Draper suffered a ruptured achilles tendon in round 6, ending his season.[19][20] At the conclusion of Essendon's season, Draper announced his intention to exercise his free agency rights and leave Essendon for a new club for the 2026 AFL season and beyond,[21] with his club of choice later revealed to be Brisbane.[22]
Brisbane
[edit]Draper's move to the Lions was confirmed on 4 October.[23]
In the media
[edit]Draper is a host of the 200 Plus podcast with Network 10 sports journalist Nick Butler and North Melbourne Football Club player Charlie Comben.[24]
Statistics
[edit]Updated to the end of round 5, 2026.[25]
G
|
Goals | K
|
Kicks | D
|
Disposals | T
|
Tackles |
B
|
Behinds | H
|
Handballs | M
|
Marks | H/O
|
Hit-outs |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | H/O | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | H/O | |||||
| 2017 | Essendon | 38[citation needed] | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| 2018 | Essendon | 38[citation needed] | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| 2019 | Essendon | 38[citation needed] | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| 2020[a] | Essendon | 38 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 46 | 20 | 66 | 15 | 15 | 147 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 5.8 | 2.5 | 8.3 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 18.4 | 0 |
| 2021 | Essendon | 2 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 85 | 46 | 131 | 31 | 23 | 316 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 6.5 | 3.5 | 10.1 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 24.3 | 4 |
| 2022 | Essendon | 2 | 22 | 12 | 7 | 140 | 74 | 214 | 35 | 33 | 523 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 6.4 | 3.4 | 9.7 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 23.8 | 1 |
| 2023 | Essendon | 2 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 101 | 53 | 154 | 37 | 28 | 282 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 7.2 | 3.8 | 11.0 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 20.1 | 0 |
| 2024 | Essendon | 2 | 16 | 11 | 10 | 122 | 57 | 179 | 49 | 31 | 306 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 7.6 | 3.6 | 11.2 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 19.1 | 2 |
| 2025 | Essendon | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 36 | 31 | 67 | 18 | 14 | 103 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 7.2 | 6.2 | 13.4 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 20.6 | 0 |
| 2026 | Brisbane Lions | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 35 | 11 | 46 | 13 | 5 | 49 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 8.8 | 2.8 | 11.5 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 12.3 | |
| Career[26] | 82 | 45 | 42 | 565 | 292 | 857 | 198 | 149 | 1726 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 6.9 | 3.6 | 10.5 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 21.0 | 7 | ||
Notes
- ^ 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.
References
[edit]- ^ "AFL rookie draft 2017, which snubbed draftees and delisted players did your club pick up?". Fox Sports. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ Rosen, Laurence. "When will Sam Draper make his Essendon debut?". SEN 111.6. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ a b c Trantino, Julian (30 July 2020). "Draper to make debut". EssendonFC Media. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ Conway, Simon (28 November 2016). "Sam Draper joins our Comeback Story". EssendonFC Media. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ "Former soccer player Draper joins Bombers in rookie draft – nine months after taking up footy". Adelaide Now. 29 November 2016.
- ^ Conway, Simon (28 November 2016). "Sam Draper joins our Comeback Story". EssendonFC Media. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ Walsh, Conor (7 May 2019). "Disappointing news for Draper". essendonfc.com.au.
- ^ Colangelo, Anthony (30 July 2020). "Trade-target ruck Draper to debut for Essendon". The Age. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ "Round 9 • Essendon v Brisbane Lions - Player Stats". Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ "Ridley wins 2020 Crichton Medal". Essendon Bombers Media. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ "Bombers' brutal blow: Trio out for extended period". AFL Media. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ "Team selection: Round 14". essendonfc.com.au. 18 June 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ "2022 rebel Goal of the Year – Sam Draper". afl.com.au. Australian Football League. 18 September 2022. Archived from the original on 18 September 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- ^ Barrett, Steve; Pierik, Jon (20 April 2024). "'What else can I do': AFL admits error as debate rages over Draper non-call". The Age. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
- ^ "Rd 15 team selection: Draper return confirmed". essendonfc.com.au. 21 June 2024.
- ^ "Essendon ruckman Sam Draper makes revealing admission on 'unfair' Achilles injury". Seven News. 20 April 2025.
- ^ "Essendon big man Sam Draper's set-shot routine puzzles AFL greats". Seven News. 24 March 2025.
- ^ "The numbers behind Sam Draper's snap set shot routine". news.com.au. 16 April 2025.
- ^ "Injury news: Scans confirm ruptured achilles for Draper". Essendon Football Club. 20 April 2025.
- ^ "Essendon without Sam Draper for rest of 2025 season as Achilles rupture confirmed". Nine Network. 20 April 2025.
- ^ "Draper to depart Dons". Essendon Football Club. 9 September 2025.
- ^ "Free agent officially picks new home, Bombers wait for compo call". AFL. 16 September 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ @AFL_House (4 October 2025). "Paperwork approved" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ "Producey Podcasts | Expert Podcast Producers in Melbourne". www.producey.com. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "Sam Draper". AFL Tables. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
- ^ "Sam Draper". AFL Tables. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
External links
[edit]- Sam Draper's profile on the official website of the Essendon Football Club
- Sam Draper's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- Sam Draper at AustralianFootball.com
