Port support spills over!

By Callan Date
WHILE most of Victoria will be supporting Geelong in this Saturday’s AFL Grand Final the Salopek family will be cheering their heart out for Port Adelaide.
The Berwick residents will be riding every bump and celebrating every touch that Power star Steven Salopek gathers on football’s biggest stage.
Father Nick and siblings Danielle, 19, and Jason, 14, quickly changed colours to the South Australian club when Steven was drafted at pick six in the 2002 national draft.
The former St Francis Xavier College student and Narre Warren junior, who lost his mother in a car accident, is no stranger to that one day in September, albeit at a junior level.
“He played in six grand finals as a junior and they took out all of them. I think he won about five best and fairest awards too,” Nick said.
The 22-year-old onballer has impressed football followers during his 62 game career and will grace the ‘G this Saturday knowing he has a loyal family supporting his every move.
Nick said Grand Final week had been extra exciting for the whole family knowing that Steven would be playing in the big match.
“He was allocated 12 tickets so we will all go along and support him.”
Nick said the telephone had been relatively quiet throughout the week with only a few close family members asking for a ticket.
“Danielle and Jason normally go down to the rooms and watch him warm up and all that but I normally just stay up (in the stand).”
The Salopeks will also go along to the traditional Grand Final parade in Melbourne tomorrow (Friday) and lap up the whole experience.
But Nick can be forgiven for not entirely focusing on the biggest game of Steven’s career.
Jason, a promising junior footballer, is currently in full swing with the youngster taking part in a Dandenong Stingrays carnival this week.
“Jason had a practise game last weekend so we couldn’t go over and watch the preliminary final (against the Kangaroos in which Steven was named among the Power’s best) but we will be there this week,” he said.
Nick said his family would watch the game with Steven’s fiancee, Alice, and her parents.
“He calls Adelaide home now but it is always good to have him back here for Christmas.”