Salopek, the Power’s first-round draft selection in 2002 (No.6 overall), had been weighing up a move back to Victoria for family reasons.
The 25-year-old admitted there were times he was convinced he would seek a trade across the border, but said he couldn’t turn his back on the club.
“There were days where I would talk and speak to people and I’d be like, ‘yep, we’re going home’. Then the next day I’d be saying, ‘No, we’re staying. That’s enough. Let’s sign up and go again’. Then there were also days where I didn’t know what I was doing,” Salopek said on Friday.
“My wife (Alice) and I had a lot of lengthy discussions. I’ve been here for eight years, and after this contract it’ll be 10 years. I got here when I was 17 years old, and you can’t just make a decision to leave a football club overnight.
“I weighed up every option that I had. I weighed up the pros and cons of both staying and going, and in the end, staying outweighed it [going].”
Salopek’s decision was complicated by his desire to do what was in the best interests of his two-year-old son, Louis.
The injury-ravaged onballer spoke to his family and his wife’s family, who also reside in Melbourne, regularly and said a recent conversation with his dad had helped him make up his mind to stay in Adelaide.
“My old man basically said, ‘Son, Louis is only two years old. He doesn’t really know who we are yet and he won’t until he’s about five or six years old’,” Salopek said.
“[By then] I’ll be 30 years old, which if my body permits, I’ll be basically finished by then. There’s always the chance to move back home then.”
There had been speculation Salopek had put off making a decision on his future until Port Adelaide had unveiled its new coach, but the skilful midfielder said the appointment of Matthew Primus wasn’t a “massive” factor in his decision-making process.
“I told Matty and the club that it [my decision] was all about family … but in the end, the hardest part for me was knowing that if I left, I would be leaving this club and the playing list,” he said.
“There’s some excitement around the group at the moment with the direction we’re heading in, and I can feel we’re building something special here.
“To give that up just to go back to Melbourne and not knowing where I would be playing would be a bit childish of me. Family is always going to be there. It’s never going to leave and Melbourne is only an hour flight or a phone call away.”
Port Adelaide will now turn its attention to disenchanted forward Daniel Motlop. The 28-year-old is yet to formally request a trade, but has expressed a desire to be closer to young son Jesse, who lives in Western Australia with his mother.
Primus said the enigmatic goalkicker was a required player at Alberton.
“'Motts' has had some time like Steven to decide what he wants to do and what’s best for him … that’ll all come to a head pretty soon,” Primus said.
“Ideally, we’d like to keep him and he’s contracted, but footy is not just about how you play on the weekend. You’ve got to get your work-life-balance right. If he gets that right, he’s a pretty good player, so as soon as he finds out what’s best for him off the field, we’ll work with him in that regard.”
