Michael Walters

Michael Walters (born 7 January 1991) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

For other persons of the same name, see Michael Walters (disambiguation)

Michael Walters
Walters playing for Fremantle in August 2016
Personal information
Full name Michael Walters
Nickname(s) Son-Son, Sonny[1]
Date of birth (1991-01-07) 7 January 1991
Original team(s) Swan Districts (WAFL)
Draft No. 53, 2008 national draft
Height 176 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 75 kg (165 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder / Forward
Club information
Current club Fremantle
Number 10
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2009– Fremantle 153 (264)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2020.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Originally playing mainly as a small forward, Walters has recently spent more time in the midfield. In 2019 he was rewarded with his debut selection in the All-Australian team.[2] He has been a member of Fremantle's leadership group since 2017.[3]

Junior career

A highly skilled player who mainly plays as a midfielder or forward,[4] Walters was selected by Fremantle with the 53rd pick in the 2008 AFL Draft. He had made his senior debut for Swan Districts in the West Australian Football League in 2008, playing 2 matches.[5] Nicknamed Son-son, he lived on the same street in Midvale as his former Swan Districts teammates and fellow 2008 AFL draftees Nic Naitanui and Chris Yarran.[1] Walters' father Mike played for Central District in the South Australian National Football League.[6]

In 2007 he represented Western Australia at the Under 16 Championships and won the Kevin Sheehan Medal (shared with Tom Scully) as the best player in the championships, after kicking 10 goals in his three games.[7][8] He was a member of the 2007-08 AIS/AFL Academy squad[9] and in 2008 represented Western Australia at the 2008 AFL Under 18 Championships and was named in the All-Australian Team.[10]

AFL career

Walters made his AFL debut for Fremantle in Round 11 of the 2009 AFL season at Football Park against Port Adelaide, after Hayden Ballantyne was a late withdrawal due to injury. He kicked a goal in debut match, minutes before fellow debutant and Swan Districts teammate Clancee Pearce also kicked a goal.[11]

Prior to the start of the 2012 AFL season, Walters was suspended from training with Fremantle and sent back to train and play for Swan Districts due to a poor fitness level and being overweight.[12][13] He improved his fitness and performed well for Swans, and was accepted back at Fremantle in April[14] and returned to the AFL in July, in round 16 against Melbourne. He played in every game after returning, kicking 22 goals from 10 games.[15][16] In late September 2012 Walters was re-signed for a further two years, until the end of the 2014 season.[17]

In 2013 Walters had his best season to date, kicking 46 goals From 21 games, was named in the initial All Australian 40-man squad and won his first Fremantle leading goal-kicker award.

In 2015, he had another consistent goal-kicking season, which saw him kick 44 goals across 22 games, winning his second Fremantle leading goal-kicker award.

In the 2017 season, his standout performance came in Round 15, at Domain stadium against St. Kilda, where he collected a team-high 32 disposals and kicked 6 goals. He was ruled out for the remainder of the season after injuring his Posterior Cruciate Ligament in his left knee, in Fremantle's loss to Hawthorne in Round 18. Despite being moved into the midfield towards the middle of the season, he finished the season with 22 goals from 17 games.

In 2018, especially after the suspension and subsequent injury to Nat Fyfe, Walters spent increasing amounts of time in the midfield, where he finished the season averaging 19.8 disposals per game, his highest average in his career so far. He won Fremantle's leading goal-kicker award, his 4th for the club, kicking 22 goals from 18 games. He was a finalist for mark of the year, where he was nominated for his high-flying mark on Jeremy McGovern, against West Coast in Round 20.

Walters started 2019 in blazing fashion, averaging career-high figures. In Round 10, he kicked a behind after the siren to give the Dockers a 1-point win over Brisbane at Optus stadium. The following week in the Round 11 clash with Collingwood at the MCG, Walters kicked a goal with 30 seconds remaining to give the Dockers a 4-point lead which ultimately won them the game. Arguably, his best performance came in Round 13 when Fremantle played Port Adelaide at Optus stadium. He kicked 6.1 and picked up 25 disposals in the 21-point victory, and was awarded the maximum 10 in the AFLCA votes for his performance.

Statistics
Statistics are correct to the end of the 2019 season[18]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2009 Fremantle 383212111321450.70.37.03.710.74.71.7
2010 Fremantle 3858152176915121.60.210.43.413.83.02.4
2011 Fremantle 3834319524381.31.06.31.78.01.02.7
2012 Fremantle 38102211833611940292.21.18.33.611.94.02.9
2013 Fremantle 1021462323193324108522.21.111.04.415.45.12.5
2014 Fremantle 1081513792810729201.91.69.93.513.43.62.5
2015 Fremantle 1022441922510733277542.00.910.24.915.13.52.4
2016 Fremantle 1022362124415740191661.61.011.17.118.24.13.0
2017 Fremantle 1017221419713032774451.30.811.67.619.24.42.6
2018 Fremantle 1018221420615035665591.20.811.48.319.83.63.3
2019 Fremantle 1022401730317647983781.80.813.88.021.83.83.5
Career 151 261 137 1660 910 2570 599 428 1.7 0.9 11.0 6.0 17.0 4.0 2.8

References
  1. Qualye, Emma (22 November 2008). "The street named desire". Realfooty.com.au. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  2. "2019 All Australian team: New skipper, nine debutants revealed". afl.com.au. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  3. Duffield, Mark (16 February 2017). "Walters heeds lessons from past". PerthNow. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  4. Broad, Ben; Countdown:Michael Walters Archived 9 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine; 25 November 2008
  5. WAFL Online Profile Archived 13 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Butler, Steve (14 September 2012). "What the Butler heard - finals second round". The West Australian. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  7. NAB AFL Under 16 Championships - day six
  8. WA second in Under 16s National Championships Archived 16 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Two Queenslanders Names in 2007-08 AIS/AFL Academy
  10. Emma Quayle; Vic Metro Shines Again; 20 July 2008
  11. Butler, Steve. "Dockers beaten in Adelaide". The West Australian. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  12. Duffield, Mark (23 January 2012). "Dockers send unfit Walters back to WAFL". The West Australian.
  13. "Walters to train with Swan Districts". 23 January 2012. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  14. O'Donoghue, Craig and Miller, Dale (11 April 2012). "Walters ready to weigh in for Freo". The West Australian.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  15. Quayle, Emma (14 September 2012). "Back from the brink". The Age.
  16. Quartermaine, Braden (16 September 2012). "Fremantle Dockers re-sign forward Michael Walters". The Sunday Times.
  17. Walters commits to Dockers
  18. Michael Walters's player profile at AFL Tables
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