IF IT wasn’t for coach Mark Williams, Nathan Krakouer could have walked out on Port Adelaide last season.

Krakouer, 20, made a blistering start to his AFL career playing 11 games in his debut year after being selected by the Power at No. 39 in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft.

The lightning-quick onballer was on track for an even bigger 2008 before a spate of soft tissue injuries derailed his plans.

He added just three AFL games and was granted permission to return to his native Western Australia after suffering a season-ending hamstring strain in round 15.

It was then that the homesick Krakouer weighed up his future and news of a potential trade to Fremantle or West Coast surfaced.

"There was a stage that I was certain I wanted to go back to WA," Krakouer told portadelaidefc.com.au.

"But I had a talk to Choco (Williams) and I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t tell him I wanted to go back. I felt like I couldn’t just walk out and I’m glad I didn’t."

Port Adelaide, desperate to hold on to the contracted Krakouer, refused to entertain a trade and emerged from the exchange period with him still on its list.

Krakouer returned to pre-season training with a fresh outlook and, more recently, has found a safeguard against any future homesickness.

"Last year, I was coming to the club every morning at 8am and sitting in the little rehab room. Besides footy, there was nothing going on for me," he said.

"I wanted to go home and I think it all came back to that injury and because I wasn’t playing football. Now I’m never going to feel like that again because I’ve got my little son here to take my mind off football."

In January, supporters were surprised to learn that Krakouer’s partner of over two years, Teresa, had given birth to a baby boy – Nathan Junior.

"I kept it (the pregnancy) quiet for a bit because I didn’t know what Choco and the others would say or how they would take it," he said.

"I was a bit scared to tell them but Choco heard about it, talked to me and now that I’ve told them they’re all happy about it.

"The coaches have even given me some advice. I think I was just worried I would disappoint some people because it’s a bit early [in life to be a father], but I’ve got a little boy now so everyone should be happy."

Krakouer spent the Christmas break in Alice Springs with his partner waiting for the arrival of Nathan Jr., who was nine days late.

They returned to Adelaide two weeks ago and Krakouer said the birth of his son had helped create a better balance in his life.

"It’s a good distraction," he said. "Having a child takes your mind off everything. You’re fresh every time you come back to the club and when you get home you forget all about footy because you’re looking after your child.

"The funny thing is that I thought he’d been sleeping well, but that’s only because I’d been sleeping through the whole night and my girlfriend had been getting up to him three times a night."

Nathan Junior will soon have plenty of friends with the partners of Warren Tredrea, Daniel Motlop, Steve Salopek and Danyle Pearce all expecting children in the coming months.