Retiring Sonny Sets

[eastfreo75]

Come on Fremantle find or make him a job at the club.

Quality person.

 

[gaskin]

Come on Fremantle find or make him a job at the club.

Quality person.

Working with the NGA would be good. He has always been a mentor for the young Indigenous kids who get drafted to the club.

 

[Paracleet]

This has been sitting in its package (the package itself then in a vacuum sealed bag) for 5 or 6 years now, waiting ready for this moment.

 

[Freo Big Fella]

Gutted - I'm guaranteed to be a blubbering mess whenever he gets his lap of honour.

Was genuinely close to best-in-the-comp levels in his AA year and the latter Ross years.

Would love the club to rename the best clubman award in his honour.

 

[Madas]

 

[Heave Ho Bro]

Absolute legend and one of the very best to ever pull on the Freo jumper. Sad way for it to end, he deserved better. Hope he stays involved at the club in some capacity.

Does he have any sons?

 

[Daddoo]

What a legend. He’s one of the players that you’ll look back and be grateful you were around to watch him play. A great player and a great human being.

Congrats Son-Son on a fabulous career. You will be remembered as one of the club’s all time greats.

He’s gotta have a coaching/mentoring role somewhere at Freo. No way will he disappear. His playing days are over but he’s got more to give to the game and the club.

Love ya Sonny!!

 

[Tonga Bob]

Absolute legend and one of the very best to ever pull on the Freo jumper. Sad way for it to end, he deserved better. Hope he stays involved at the club in some capacity.

Does he have any sons?

Three daughters, but now has time to add to the family

 

[Spirit Level]

One of my all time favourites to pull on the jumper, I'm glad the club stuck with him in 2012 as it was always apparent he was going to be a gun.

Hopefully he sticks around the club and transitions into coaching

 

[mumblingpie]

Loved watching him, thought he was still in his 20s lol so was shocked to hear him retiring

 

[Quazar2]

Just watching his presser, couldn't help but feel emotion. So bittersweet, the end comes way too quickly.

Only Fyfe left of that 2013 GF appearance now.

It whittles down to just Pearce and Fyfe to get a cup, and most likely just Moose now. Really quite sad and wistful a feeling. I will miss Sonny, his great cheek and humour; his amazing skills and goals. A great player and legend of the club, this one is pretty tough and I hope the club can find a way to maximise what huge enthusiasm this man has for the club, it will be sorely missed as a player.

Thanks a mill Michael 'Sonny' Walters. You are a legend forever more buddy

 

[Minz]

SonSon went to my highschool. It's a bit different to Geelong Grammar or Wesley or wherever really and the streets of Midvale have many tough backyards along them.

As much as anything, SonSon is all about the open, egalitarian nature of our great game. For the tall, the short, the wiry, the boofy, the rich, the poor, the black, the white, the bullwog, the Sudanese refugee - there's a spot for you if you give yourself over; if you commit to run and to play for your mates.

Thanks to worsemim, I have this hilarious bit of football goodness to share. The weaknesses section of Sonny's draft profile:

View attachment 2358316

He has proved a ridiculous amount of people wrong over the journey, has Michael Walters, in many different ways and he has done it through belief in himself, his family and in his community.

He threw many Ms for Midland. Let's throw as many Ws for Walters.

Unconventional build… crikey, really lined the bloke up.

 

[ilikepotatoes]

Man it's a shame he couldn't get up and running.

Surely there's a career highlights coming up somewhere. Probably go for a good 15-20 minutes.

 

[Freo Shark]

Thanks Sonny and well done on the career! You were an inspiration to so many kids.

Hope the club finds a job for you for life.

 

[swanny1234]

Unreal player, well done on a great career Sonny.

 

[greatgatsby]

Unconventional build… crikey, really lined the bloke up.

You're not wrong, reads like it's part of a vendetta

 

[Dale147]

 

[Dale147]

 

[Pusswah]

Two WA greats as I like to remember them.

Loved the pat on the shoulder from Gov, nice class

 

[Righteo]

Come on Fremantle find or make him a job at the club.

Quality person.

I have never been much of a 'jobs for the boys' advocate because I think it's nepotistic and insular but this is one man who absolutely needs to be around as much as possible. To go from a talented but chubby and unmotivated kid at risk of pissing his career away to one of the best players in the comp, an incredible leader, role model, family man etc is the embodiment of inspirational and the most impressive personal arc I've witnessed at Freo. You literally can't ask for a better mentor for any young player of any background.

 

[Kram]

This is my favourite moment from the great man at 4.40, picks the ball up under pressure with the non-preffered hand and puts it through on the non-preffered foot.

Ridiculous.

And at a huge part in a final.

 

[estibador]

So just looking at his club standings now it's all over:

- 7th on all time games played list (239)

- 2nd on all time goals list (365) (5 times leading goal kicker)

- 4th on all time finals games played (13)

- 2nd on all time finals goals (30)

 

[Righteo]

So just looking at his club standings now it's all over:

- 7th on all time games played list (239)

- 2nd on all time goals list (365) (5 times leading goal kicker)

- 4th on all time finals games played (13)

- 2nd on all time finals goals (30)

kicked a goal in every final he played which is doubly ridiculous considering how small fwds normally go.

Our best big game player ever, easily.

 

[stax on the mull]

There was a game against St Kilda where he 6 goals from the midfield and got 30 plus possessions.

A game against Collingwood in 2015, not a great team performance but worth looking at for the clutch moments.

Sonny kicked the first goal inside a minute and the last goal of a game which we won by under 2 goals.

We were top of the ladder and Collingwood were near the bottom but we couldn't shake them off. In fact Collingwood led for a lot of the game but as well as the 2 goals I mention above, Sonny also kicked two other goals that were seconds before the siren at half time and seconds before 3/4 time. Both were goals in general play from narrow angles where he had to get the ball on the boot quick or not get a kick at all.

Rd 13 2015.

 

[DQ 4EVER]

Absolute legend and one of the very best to ever pull on the Freo jumper. Sad way for it to end, he deserved better. Hope he stays involved at the club in some capacity.

Does he have any sons?

If the Legend added a son to his 3 beautiful girls, surely the lad will be Son Son Son, known a Triple.
Thanks for the memories Michael.
One of the purest footballers we have had