After spending a year on Collingwood's list, where he played in the reserves, Powell was traded to Richmond in a swap for Matthew Francis.
Powell, a forward, had to wait until round 15 of the 1996 AFL season to make it into the Richmond seniors.
[1] The former North Heidelberg player started the 1997 season in Richmond's best 21 but again had his biggest impact in the second half of the year.
He received a nomination for the 1997 AFL Rising Star award in round 20, having managed 25 disposals and two goals against North Melbourne.
Calf injuries plagued his time at St Kilda and he played just 10 AFL games.In 2002 Powell joined the Silvan Football Club,in the YVMDFL, playing an important role in guiding the Cats to a dominant premiership later that year.