About Sam Draper

Sam Draper (born 28 September 1998) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited with the 1st draft pick in the 2017 AFL rookie draft.
In Essendon's Victorian Football League (VFL) match against Geelong in 2019, Draper tore his ACL. He missed nearly 12 months of football in his recovery, but signed a four-year contract extension in August of 2019.

The ruckman debuted in Round 9 of the 2020 AFL season in Essendon's 63-point loss against the Brisbane Lions. On debut, Draper picked up 9 disposals, 2 marks and 2 tackles, and kicked a behind. 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 Griffith’s Rising Star award at the conclusion of the season.