MICHAEL Walters cannot believe how far he has come in the past 12 months.
Fremantle's electric small forward has kicked 45 goals in his past 20 games after being banished from the club early in 2012 for not reaching the minimum fitness standards that the Dockers demanded.
Speaking as a mentor at the launch of the Dockers' 2013 Live the Dream program, Walters has surprised himself with what he has achieved as a person and a footballer.
"If you were to ask me [a year ago] where I would be in 12 months, I wouldn't have said I'd be back here playing AFL footy," Walters said.
"You can see how long 12 months is. I've had a massive change from a kid, to a father, to a mentor."
The 22-year-old said he had to straighten his life out away from football to help with his form on the field.
"There's other things outside of footy," Walters said.
"There's the growing up stage. There are also things to do with footy like my diet. I had to work on that.
"And also thinking about the team, not just myself, and also my family."
Walters said the responsibility of becoming a father has had a profound impact on his life.
"Yeah it's changed me a lot," Walters said.
"Also with footy, since I've come back I would never have been able to buy a house being back at Swans (Swan Districts).
"But I worked and I only just bought a house for my family and changed my life."
As well as working with the Dockers in their community program, Walters is undertaking a mentoring course at TAFE and spends one day a week at his former high school Swan View.
"I go there and work with the kids and sit in the class and just talk," Walters said.
He has discovered the importance of helping young people through the influence mentors have had on his own life.
"Ross (Lyon) has been a massive part in my career and also Michael Johnson," Walters said.
"And also Daniel Pearce, who has rocked up to the club this year. I've still got a lot of areas I need to work on and he's helping me along with that as well."
Ross Lyon believed that Walters was in All Australian form before he injured his ankle in the draw against the Swans in round eight. He had kicked 19 goals to that point before missing a month of football.
Walters said the injury was a setback given the form his was in.
"It was pretty tough to go down, especially given it was the third quarter in a close game," Walters said.
"Mentally it was frustrating but I just had to work on it in rehab and keep my fitness up so I could come back in."
