Chris Robinson: Michael Walters bows out from AFL footy as Fremantle Dockers’ ‘heart and soul’ legend

Earlier this season, Michael Walters used his column in this masthead to sum up each of his Fremantle teammates in three words. Having been responsible for introducing the ‘three-word analysis’ concept for Dockers and Eagles players on game day at The West a few years back, I was chuffed to see him embrace the idea. But there was one minor issue. In typically humble and charismatic style, the trio of words Walters offered for himself didn’t do it justice. While “34, looks 21” was a humorous assessment, allow me to come up with a more fitting way to describe the retiring champion. Heart and soul. There’s many ways to slice and dice Walters’ career. It’s a story of persistence, overcoming the odds, embracing leadership on and off the field, and some seriously jaw-dropping footy feats. But to cut a long story short: He’s the heart and soul of Freo. That’s the type of compliment afforded to a select few in sport, and the first step towards attaining it is proving yourself on the field. Walters had to do that the hard way. A late draft selection at Pick 53 in 2008, the proud Midvale product had to wait longer than fellow Bushby St draftees Nic Naitanui and Chris Yarran to get the chance to show his wares. Having mustered 11 AFL games in his first three seasons, Walters was banished to Swan Districts by new coach Ross Lyon ahead of the 2012 campaign. It could have been the beginning of the end, but it was instead a self-confessed “turning point” that marked the start of a steady climb to the upper echelons of Dockers history. He booted a team-high 46 majors in Fremantle’s 2013 campaign to help lead the club to a historic grand final berth. He’d finish as the club’s leading goalkicker in five different seasons, including a stunning 2019 campaign that resulted in a much-deserved All-Australian blazer. While Nat Fyfe’s second Brownlow Medal that year rightly earned plaudits, don’t sleep on just how high that Walters campaign ranks among the club’s all-time finest individual seasons. Forty goals, almost 22 disposals a game, a match-winning behind against Brisbane at Optus Stadium to whip the Purple Haze into a frenzy, and a match-winning goal against Collingwood at the MCG just a week later. A superb blend of innate goal sense, the ability to find and use the footy, and the composure to stand tall in the biggest moments. And speaking of big occasions, Walters ends his career with seven efforts of three or more goals in finals - one more than Matthew Pavlich for the most in club history. It’s easy to see how those heroics make you a fan favourite. What’s even more significant is the willingness to embrace the status of being a role model and a leader in the Indigenous community and emerge as – to borrow a term used by the Dockers – a “cultural custodian”. Leading the Indigenous All Stars as captain earlier this year was one of the most fitting honours of his career. He’s been the type of teammate who makes those around him walk taller. A smiling assassin with a killer instinct. A fierce competitor who preaches and is driven by the value of family, culture, and hard work. Walters put in one last brilliant showing in a purple strip on Thursday – albeit in a polo shirt at his farewell press conference rather than a guernsey at a packed stadium. And two of the moments that required a pause to compose himself came when he talked about his beloved teammates, and the next generation of kids from places like Midvale that he has inspired. They’re the things that mean everything to ‘Sonny’, and that’s been plain for all to see across a decorated Dockers career. And it’s left a heart-and-soul legacy that won’t be soon forgotten.