Payne played junior football for Noosa AFC. Payne attended school at St Andrews Anglican College in Sunshine Coast, Queensland. At the age of 13, Payne was selected to join the Brisbane Lions's academy after a talent scout caught notice of him playing school football. He was also originally a promising discus thrower, representing Australia at the Oceanic Games. However, at the age of 17 he gave up this opportunity to pursue a life in the AFL instead. In 2017, Payne represented the Allies in the AFL Under 18 Championships, where he played 2 games and averaged 9.5 disposals per match.
