Height: 189 cm

Weight: 88 kg

DOB: 20-05-1994

Junior Club: Port FC (Port Pirie)

Recruited from: North Adelaide (SANFL), Brisbane Lions

AFL games: 101 (6 in 2018)

AFL goals: 26 (0 in 2018)

A highly rated junior, there was an expectation that Mayes would land at Port Adelaide when Port Adelaide had its first pick at 7 in the 2012 AFL National Draft. Instead he fell to pick 8 and was claimed by Brisbane. Six years on, Sam Mayes has finally made his way to Alberton.

So impressive in his junior years was Mayes that he was an All-Australian as a bottom-ager in 2011, and then as the South Australian Under 18 vice-captain in 2012 he was unlucky to miss out on the honour again.

That year he managed 22 league games for North Adelaide in the SANFL, booting 21 goals along the way. He was then known for having one of the best kicks in his draft year and a strong mark.

Mayes followed a reasonable line of talent from Port Pirie with Mark Jamar (Melbourne), Mark Bickley (Adelaide) and Lewis Johnstone (Sydney and Adelaide) among others to make the grade from the “friendly city”.

His father is a former champion runner who worked at the Port Pirie smelter and while he has always been a South Australian, Mayes admits he was a Melbourne Demons supporter growing up.

Drafted as a classy lead-up forward straight out of Henley High School, at Brisbane Mayes quickly became renowned as a clever, poised hard-running defender.

He was an AFL Rising Star nominee in 2013, the same year he won the Brisbane Lions Rookie of the Year award and finished in the top-10 at the Best and Fairest count.

When five other young top-10 draft picks Brisbane players left Mayes stayed, vowing to accept the challenge facing the Lions.

He stayed after a difficult personal year in 2015 and played his 100th game in 2018, a difficult year after having his best year in 2017.

Across his career, Mayes has averaged 17.4 disposals, 4.8 marks and 2.1 tackles per game.

He booted a career-high four goals against Geelong in Rounds 2 2014, and once took 12 marks against Carlton in Round 18, 2017.

While he has never been a prolific ball winner (his best haul in a single game was 29 disposals against Fremantle in 2017), Mayes is renowned as a good ball user who can read the play and spread the ball across the park. It’s probably why he has been trusted by Brisbane to play across half back.

Given the opportunity to explore his future at other clubs in 2018, Mayes now finds himself coming home to play for Port Adelaide.

He becomes the second Henley High School graduate to join the club in 2018 with ruckman Scott Lycett coming across from West Coast as a free agent.

The Power sees Mayes’ versatility as a key asset so don’t be surprised if he is used in the midfield, as a wingman or up forward again.

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