A previous star player with North Melbourne and Collingwood, Kekovich was a fine contributor to North Melbourne’s first Premiership victory in 1975. Sam started his career with the North Melbourne football club in 1968 and in the following year won the club's best and fairest award and was the club's top goal kicker, kicking 56 goals. From that point, his brilliance was displayed only in flashes as he seemed to put more effort into other non-football activities, including soccer, trampolining and posing naked in the "Truth" newspaper. These began to grate with those in power at the Kangaroos. However, he did play a role in the club's breakthrough premiership win in 1975. After playing 125 VFL games for the Kangaroos between 1968 and 1976, he moved to Collingwood in 1977, but only played four games, retiring that season.
Since Sam’s playing days he has “turned himself” into an entrepreneur and media identity. He has carried his flamboyant style into the media sector, being most notable for his rants on the ABC show The Fat and a breakfast show on Melbourne radio station 3AK. He also appears on Triple M's pre-match AFL coverage and is on ESPN.