Season by Season

Probably the story of the year at Fremantle, Michael Walters picked himself up off the canvas and emerged as the quality small forward the club hoped it had drafted in 2008.

Six-months after being banished to Swan Districts for failing to meet the physical requirements of an AFL footballer, Walters returned in round 16 with a resounding performance against Melbourne.

He played every game from that point on, kicking 22 goals and coming up big in both finals, with two against Geelong and three in Adelaide.

Walters averaged 6.1 score involvements per game, equal second with Chris Mayne and behind only Mathew Pavlich.

He’s taken a giant step, but its paramount he goes on with it in 2013 to consolidate all the hard work.

Son Son’s season began in a blaze of glory when he kicked the winning goal from the boundary line against Brisbane at the Gabba. But injuries would derail what looked like being the season he cemented his spot in the team. Walters played in rounds 2 and 3 before being sidelined and he didn’t appear for Fremantle again in 2011. He has undoubted talent, but both Walters and the club will be hoping he can stay healthy and have a big 2012.

Walters had to wait until round 20 to play his first game of the season but the small forward grasped his opportunity and stayed in the team for the rest of the season. He was one of only a handful of solid contributors in the round 21 loss to Hawthorn and his three goals in the Elimination Final win against the Hawks two weeks later were team lifting. Has laid the foundations for 2011.