Michael Walters (Swan Districts/WA) – Draft Profile

Height: 177.3cm
Weight: 73.1kg
Style: Outside/inside HFF/midfielder
Preferred Foot: Left
Potential: 6.5-8/10

Strengths

> Highly creative and very effective user by both hand and foot – lightning quick hands in traffic, clean, sharp feeds with very good vision – his lightning 1m feeds are a TM – very accurate/precise low trajectory LF kick (has a RF if needed but rarely used) – creates a lot of opportunities for others and with very good hurt factor (led goal assists at the 2008 U18 championships) – lacks power/penetration to carry distances beyond 50m
> Excellent ball handling and control below the knees
> High footy IQ – quick RT and instincts (notably at stoppages where he is a prolific 1st possession winner) and reads the play very well around the ground in linking up plays
> Fairly versatile – can play midfield (inside or out), HFF and possibly HBF, but best suited to playing starting IV midfield.
> Very good and cleverly executed sidestep
> Generally good work-rate – provides good pressure in close (good at worrying opponents off the ball then getting it himself), but lacks the pace to create defensive pressure in open spaces.
> Highly opportunistic – can make something from nothing and kick genuinely freakish goals – natural crumber that will play at the key forwards feets rather than leading at the footy – pushes I50 effectively from the flanks
> Well balanced
> Good 2008 form (not as good as 2007 though) – WA U18 rep, WAFL colts TOTY Rover, AA U18 FP and colts premiership player

Weaknesses

> Lacks athleticism - ruckman slow (instincts/anticipation/RT make him seem quicker off the mark than he is, but struggles over distance – inefficient running technique), poor vertical jump (worst at DC), lacks power and strength, doesn’t have the engine to play through the midfield for extended periods
> Inconsistent tackling efficiency – tends to have a lot slip past him – needs to focus on tackling the hips (tendency to go too high)
> Inaccurate in front of goals – goes for the low percentage shots too often
> Unconventional skinny-fat build
> Sub 180cm

Other

>Bottom aged
> Quite strong OH for his height – reach advantage at 177cm, but unlikely to translate to AFL where he’ll be well undersized against almost any opponent
> Poor skinfolds – 2nd worst at DC – suggests good scope to improve speed and endurance
> Midvale JFC product and represented state at all junior levels inc. Kevin Sheehan medallist at 2007 U16 carnival and AA U18 at 2008 U18 carnival
> Father played SANFL

Overall

Ticks just about every box from a football perspective and is up with the better players in the draft in that respect – the issue is he’s sub 180cm, slow and unfit. Short players without athleticism rarely make it at AFL and Walters will face an uphill battle to buck that trend.

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