Michael Walters could miss season-opening match after being reported for rough conduct

MICHAEL Walters could miss Fremantle’s Round 1 clash against Collingwood after being reported in Thursday’s practice match against West Coast.

FREMANTLE forward Michael Walters faces an anxious wait ahead of his season-opening blockbuster with Collingwood next Friday after he was reported in Thursday’s practice match against West Coast.

Walters, 23, was booked deep into the final quarter for rough conduct in that he crashed with high contact into Eagles utility Brant Colledge.

EAGLES SOAR PAST FREO IN PRACTICE MATCH

The charge was laid by controlling field umpires and will be sent direct to the AFL Match Review Panel.News_Image_File: Michael Walters collides with Brant Colledge. Picture: Daniel Wilkins

The panel will review limited video or television footage of the incident with the match not televised.

Walters, who booted 46 goals from his 21 games last season to sit on the borderline of All-Australian selection, is a critical small forward scoring avenue in Fremantle’s hopes of a critical first-up victory over the Pies.

He was well beaten on Thursday opposed to born-again West Coast small defender Jamie Bennell as well as being shut down in stints from robust big man Mitch Brown.

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Walters managed 13 possessions and only one goal and pressed well outside the forward 50m arc for more than half of his disposals.

Dockers coach Ross Lyon declared after the 19-point loss that star midfielder Nat Fyfe and lively small forward Hayden Ballantyne will play against the Pies, despite missing the final dress rehearsal outing of the pre-season campaign.

Fyfe missed with a slight knee complaint, while Ballantyne is nursing a cork in his thigh.