[1] Recruited by the West Coast Eagles at number six in the 2001 AFL draft, Sampi debuted against Geelong in round 14 of the 2002 season.
He was voted best-on-ground by a panel of judges but was controversially denied the Glendinning–Allan Medal; it was instead awarded to ruckman Michael Gardiner.
In 2006, he played in 12 games and was not selected for the 2006 AFL Grand Final, where the Eagles won the premiership.
In 2007, Sampi did not play a game for the Eagles after being placed on the long term injury list.
[6] On May 3, 2022, Sampi reported via his uncle Ernie Dingo's Facebook page that he had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).