The defender would have qualified as an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, meaning he could have left Freo if he had received a better offer at another club.
Instead, the 26-year-old has signed a three-year extension that will keep him in purple and white until at least the end of the 2017 season.
“I didn’t have any doubts of where I wanted to be,” Ibbotson said.
“I’ve been at the footy club now for nine years, I was drafted as a 17-year-old, so it’s been my home away from home for a long time.
“I’m comfortable with the club and the people here and I’ve got some good friendships and some good relationships with the coaches at the moment.
“I’ve always lived in WA and I love it here, so it was an easy decision.”
Ibbotson blossomed into one of the AFL’s best defenders in 2013, locking down a half-back role in the AFL’s top rated backline.
He said the most pleasing aspect of a three-year contract was the stability it offered.
“It’s always good to know that you’ve got a reasonably long contract so you can make sure you can focus on what’s good at the moment,” he said.
“That’s to get my body right initially with the rehab and then to hopefully play some games and stay consistent.”
Ibbotson has not played since round 18 last year because of an Achilles injury, which he had surgery on at the end of the season.
Ibbotson on the comeback trail
He said a major reason he re-signed now was to clear away all distractions outside of football.
“I just wanted to get it done before the season started,” Ibbotson said.
“I’m coming back from injury and I’d like to be able to focus on playing footy and getting back as quickly as possible.”
He is in line to resume via the WAFL with Peel Thunder this Saturday at Bendigo Bank Stadium in Mandurah.
“It’s not confirmed yet but I’m hoping that this week will be my first game for Peel and, hopefully, I can string a few good performances together and be back in the AFL side,” Ibbotson said.
“It’s taken me some time to get my body right again. Touch wood, I’m ready to go now and hopefully won’t have any issues from now on.”
But, after watching Freo’s 70-point win over Collingwood last Friday, Ibbotson knows getting back in the team won’t be an easy task.
“It’s exciting to see,” he said.
“I was sitting with a few of the other boys watching the game - Alex Silvagni, Nick Suban, Zac Clarke and a few of the other guys who are also itching to get going.
“It’s a good sign for us to have that depth and it creates some headaches at selection, but it’s probably headaches that they’d like to have.”
