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 his debut match, minutes before fellow debutant and Swan Districts teammate Clancee Pearce also kicked a goal. [10]
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. [11] [12] He improved his fitness and performed well for Swans, and was accepted back at Fremantle in April. [13] Walters returned to the AFL in July, in round 16 against Melbourne. He played in every game after returning, kicking 22 goals from 10 games. [14] [15] In late September 2012 Walters was re-signed for a further two years, until the end of the 2014 season. [16]
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 Hawthorn 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. He became a member of Fremantle's leadership group in 2017. [17]
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 the West Coast Eagles 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 the Brisbane Lions at Optus stadium. [18] 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. Walters received his first All-Australian selection named in the 2019 All-Australian team as a half forward. [19]
The 2022 AFL season saw Walters make his return as a forward after spending time in the midfield in recent seasons. [20] Walters played his 200th game during Fremantle's round 23 clash against GWS, he played a pivotal role kicking three goals in Fremantle's 20 point win. [21] Walters played a crucial role in Fremantle's elimination final victory over the Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium kicking three goals. [22]
Walters missed Fremantle's first game of the 2023 AFL season against St Kilda due to an Achilles tendon injury. [23] Walters was named as the emergency substitute in Fremantle's round 2 clash against North Melbourne. He entered the game in the third quarter kicking two goals. [24] The Round 3 Western Derby saw Walters kick four goals during Fremantle's 41 point win over West Coast. [25] Walters kicked four goals in round 5 during Fremantle's 10 point win over Gold Coast, which was played at Norwood Oval in Adelaide, due to the AFL's inaugural Gather Round. [26]
In April 2023 Walters was subjected to racial and homophobic abuse on social media, along with teammate Nathan Wilson, [27] [28] which was being investigated by AFL's integrity unit. [29]
In June 2023, it was announced that Walters had signed on for 2 more years at the Dockers, alongside fellow Fremantle veteran Nat Fyfe. [30]
Michael kicked his 350th goal in round two of the 2024 AFL season against North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium. [31] He was one of Fremantle's best players the next week against the Adelaide Crows at Optus Stadium, collecting 21 disposals and kicking two goals during the match. [32] Walters suffered a hamstring injury during the round 14 loss to the Bulldogs, [33] and as a result he only managed four more games for the year, [34] playing as the substitute on three of those occasions. [35] [36] [37] He was originally named as the substitute for Fremantle's annual Starlight Purple Haze fundraiser match against the Melbourne Demons in round nineteen, but the late withdrawal of Matthew Johnson due to injury meant he was elevated into the final 22. He finished the game having played perhaps his best match of the year, kicking a season-high four goals, and collecting 16 disposals during the 50 point win. [38]
