A celebrated junior ruckman, the promising Sam Hayes is yet to debut but is highly rated by teammates and Port Adelaide’s football department, as evidenced by the club’s refusal to engage in any talks of him being included in the deal that brought Aliir Aliir to Alberton despite not having a senior game under his belt yet. He continues to add size to his 205cm frame and focus on improving his running ability as he prepares for a big 2022 season.

With the departure of Peter Ladhams and a solid SANFL 2021 season under his belt, Hayes will be looking to prove he’s match-ready at the AFL level and make his highly anticipated debut at the AFL level.