Michael Walters: Why Fremantle Dockers Starlight game means so much to me
I'm one of the Dockers' nine ambassadors for the round, which has seen our club and supporters donate more than $3 million to the Starlight Children's Foundation over the years to help sick kids.
Having a family of my own, I couldn't imagine what it would be like having a girl go through what these children go through, which is why I've been so drawn to helping out however I can.
What we do as footballers is minuscule compared to what they go through; they are the real heroes who we should be making a fuss over.
Throughout the year, us ambassadors visit Perth Children's Hospital, where we get to meet these brave kids, sing songs with them, play games, run up and down the ward, it's really good fun.
Some of these kids have so much energy, others aren't quite up for a chat, but I always try to do something really silly, do a silly dance or sing something silly to try and put a smile on their face.
I have some really great memories in the hospital, not only with the kids but those around them who go above and beyond.
The parents and siblings of these children, I love making a big fuss over them. I'll always give them a big hug and a high five, it's about them as well.
They would go through so much, things I would never want to imagine having to go through and I always think I want to do anything I can to make their day just that much better.
It's also really special to meet the nurses, doctors, surgeons and team at the hospital, everyone involved in the foundation who play a part in trying to make these kids' lives better, every single one of them are superheroes.
Each of these kids, their families and the hospital and foundation staff have given me so much and helped me put things into perspective and to me it is all about giving back however I can.
Some will run out with us on the field through the banner or line up as a guard of honour, and one will even get to go to the middle of the ground and toss the coin.
After the game, we will give our Starlight beanies and wands, bring them into the rooms too, it's really exciting and I'm really looking forward to it.
Our supporters and footy fans can get involved too — I encourage whoever can to donate through our Fans Pledge on our website, where you can donate a certain amount for every goal kicked.
Everyone who enters this also goes into the draw to win a limited edition Starlight jumper, signed by all nine ambassadors, including me.
These Starlight jumpers, as well as beanies and wands, are also on sale, and a portion of this will be donated to the foundation as well.
Dig deep Dockers fans, I can't wait to see everyone on Sunday, let's make these children feel as special as they deserve to.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
6 hours ago
- West Australian
RICHO'S TOP 10: Crows star Izak Rankine has only himself to blame over AFL ban for homophobic slur
He would be contrite and remorseful. His brain fade is going to cost him and the Adelaide Crows dearly. Without he and Josh Rachele, suddenly the Crows' class inside forward 50 is diminished severely. But this is a very black and white issue — the AFL will not tolerate homophobic slurs — as it has shown time and time again. The precedent is clear. West Coast's Jack Graham received four weeks only last month so that should have been fresh in Rankine's mind. The AFL was right in making Rankine's suspension the same length as Graham's. If it hadn't, then we would have needed a very clear reason why. The seemingly never-ending sagas of player movement that free agency creates is now part of our game, as NAS was a restricted free agent and had the right to make sure he got top dollar for his services. There is always a go-home factor with some players. One rusted-on Saints fan told Dale Thomas and me over the weekend it would be worse than when they lost Tony Lockett to the Swans in 1995 if NAS had jumped ship. Some Saints fans have still not recovered from Plugger going north. Win and you're in. Lose and you can book those plane tickets to Bali. Now that's a bitter pill to swallow if you're a Freo fan, as your team will have won 15 games. But the good thing is it's still in the Dockers' hands, 'just win baby,' as the late great Las Vegas Raiders owner Al Davis would say. The Dockers will also be motivated by Nat Fyfe playing his final regular season game. There have not been many better players in the AFL era than Fyfe at the peak of his powers. Those peak years were 2013–19, during which he won two Brownlow medals. One of the best marking midfielders we have seen. Not many, if any, have been as courageous and tough in the contest. Fyfe also has a bit of mystery about him and an aura that draws people in. Unfortunately, his career was at times plagued by injuries, which must have worn him out mentally. He never showed it though. Let's hope this weekend isn't his final game and the Dockers can take him into a final September run. It will be must-watch Sunday footy on Channel Seven. To me, it's pointless holding it in mid-February with Victoria taking on WA at Optus Stadium. It will be circle work, nothing more than an exhibition game. And I doubt all the stars will be there either. Why? Because it will never be supported by the clubs who don't want their star players injured. Imagine the Western Bulldogs' reaction if The Bont was injured in this game. It will never be the pinnacle of the game like it is in the NRL to the players. So, to me, it is pointless unless it's fully supported by all stakeholders 100 per cent. Some stars of the game have said they want it, but need to show it's more than ticking it off on their career achievement list. As a small forward with 553 goals to his name, it puts him at the very top of the tree in that position. Incredible numbers in a position that at times you're living off scraps. He is so hard to tackle with great movement and footy IQ. He was a huge part of the Hawks' threepeat from 2013–15 – one of the all-time great teams. He sits comfortably among Stephen Milne, Eddie Betts, Jeff Farmer and Boomer Harvey as the best small crumbing forwards of the AFL era. A potential Hall of Famer, no doubt. The AFL would be pumped as well, with a Port win making the Suns' final game against the Bombers do-or-die. More so than that, he just deserves to walk off the Adelaide Oval with a win and a chance to sing the song one last time for the Power. He is a players' man to the end that never lost his group over his entire career. He only suffered two losing seasons in 13 years at the helm, and in four of those, he made the preliminary final. Always an honest straight shooter with no BS when dealing with him in the media as well. Put the feet up, Kenny. A job in footy awaits somewhere when he's ready. Maybe at Carlton with Vossy? Look back at the last four years. In 2022, they needed one win to secure a finals spot, only to give up the last two goals of the game against Melbourne in round 22 to lose by five points, and in round 23 they kicked 0.6 in the last quarter to Collingwood's 5.1 to lose by one point and surrender a finals berth. In 2023, they made a preliminary final. But on closer inspection, when the pressure and expectation was on that year after a 4–0 start, they went 1–8. Then, when there was a nothing-to-lose mentality, they made a run. Last year, they were second on the ladder by round 18, then stumbled into a finals campaign after they lost to the Saints and had to rely on other results. They will probably finish this year with a win tonight to finish 11th at best with a 9–14 record. It feels like the pressure valve went down after the club backed Vossy in for 2026, but over the summer they have to find a way to deal with the expectations of being a big four club, if they really want to be one. He's a fan favourite already at West Coast, and when he was at Richmond, he was the same. A committed, total team player. Desperate and willing to play any role for his team. But, and I'm sorry for this Liam, he is about to become just the fifth AFL player to win back-to-back flags (at the Tigers in 2019–20) and back-to-back wooden spoons with the Tigers in 2024 and now West Coast in 2025. The other players with this unwanted honour are all Lions: Marcus Ashcroft, Shaun Hart, Chris Johnson and Martin Pike. Now that's a quirky footy trivia question for your next club fundraiser. I get it, he's different and marketable and controversial. He draws heaps of attention for all the obvious reasons. But I love it. As I've said before, we need more personalities in our game who are not afraid of being themselves. Apart from that, he gets the job done on the field every weekend. Smith has been massive for the Cats and will be a key factor in a strong September run for Geelong. As a player, Simpson had a top score of 311 and was known as just about the best slips fielder of all time. But it was as Australia's coach that I remember him the most from 1986 to 1996 – my peak cricket-watching years. Under his tutelage and Allan Border's captaincy, Australia was transformed as a team. Think of the players that came through in that time. Too many to name, but I will single out my childhood hero and great Tasmanian Boony. Some of the team's greatest achievements in his time as coach were winning the 1987 World Cup and regaining The Ashes in England in 1989. I vividly recall both those achievements. What a time it was for Aussie cricket fans.
Perth Now
6 hours ago
- Perth Now
Izak Rankine only has himself to blame for costly mistake
He would be contrite and remorseful. His brain fade is going to cost him and the Adelaide Crows dearly. Without he and Josh Rachele, suddenly the Crows' class inside forward 50 is diminished severely. But this is a very black and white issue — the AFL will not tolerate homophobic slurs — as it has shown time and time again. The precedent is clear. West Coast's Jack Graham received four weeks only last month so that should have been fresh in Rankine's mind. The AFL was right in making Rankine's suspension the same length as Graham's. If it hadn't, then we would have needed a very clear reason why. The seemingly never-ending sagas of player movement that free agency creates is now part of our game, as NAS was a restricted free agent and had the right to make sure he got top dollar for his services. There is always a go-home factor with some players. One rusted-on Saints fan told Dale Thomas and me over the weekend it would be worse than when they lost Tony Lockett to the Swans in 1995 if NAS had jumped ship. Some Saints fans have still not recovered from Plugger going north. Win and you're in. Lose and you can book those plane tickets to Bali. Now that's a bitter pill to swallow if you're a Freo fan, as your team will have won 15 games. But the good thing is it's still in the Dockers' hands, 'just win baby,' as the late great Las Vegas Raiders owner Al Davis would say. The Dockers will also be motivated by Nat Fyfe playing his final regular season game. There have not been many better players in the AFL era than Fyfe at the peak of his powers. Those peak years were 2013–19, during which he won two Brownlow medals. One of the best marking midfielders we have seen. Not many, if any, have been as courageous and tough in the contest. Fyfe also has a bit of mystery about him and an aura that draws people in. Unfortunately, his career was at times plagued by injuries, which must have worn him out mentally. He never showed it though. Let's hope this weekend isn't his final game and the Dockers can take him into a final September run. It will be must-watch Sunday footy on Channel Seven. Nat Fyfe deserves a final AFL finals run. Credit: Justin Benson-Cooper / The West Australian To me, it's pointless holding it in mid-February with Victoria taking on WA at Optus Stadium. It will be circle work, nothing more than an exhibition game. And I doubt all the stars will be there either. Why? Because it will never be supported by the clubs who don't want their star players injured. Imagine the Western Bulldogs' reaction if The Bont was injured in this game. It will never be the pinnacle of the game like it is in the NRL to the players. So, to me, it is pointless unless it's fully supported by all stakeholders 100 per cent. Some stars of the game have said they want it, but need to show it's more than ticking it off on their career achievement list. As a small forward with 553 goals to his name, it puts him at the very top of the tree in that position. Incredible numbers in a position that at times you're living off scraps. He is so hard to tackle with great movement and footy IQ. He was a huge part of the Hawks' threepeat from 2013–15 – one of the all-time great teams. He sits comfortably among Stephen Milne, Eddie Betts, Jeff Farmer and Boomer Harvey as the best small crumbing forwards of the AFL era. A potential Hall of Famer, no doubt. The AFL would be pumped as well, with a Port win making the Suns' final game against the Bombers do-or-die. More so than that, he just deserves to walk off the Adelaide Oval with a win and a chance to sing the song one last time for the Power. He is a players' man to the end that never lost his group over his entire career. He only suffered two losing seasons in 13 years at the helm, and in four of those, he made the preliminary final. Always an honest straight shooter with no BS when dealing with him in the media as well. Put the feet up, Kenny. A job in footy awaits somewhere when he's ready. Maybe at Carlton with Vossy? Look back at the last four years. In 2022, they needed one win to secure a finals spot, only to give up the last two goals of the game against Melbourne in round 22 to lose by five points, and in round 23 they kicked 0.6 in the last quarter to Collingwood's 5.1 to lose by one point and surrender a finals berth. In 2023, they made a preliminary final. But on closer inspection, when the pressure and expectation was on that year after a 4–0 start, they went 1–8. Then, when there was a nothing-to-lose mentality, they made a run. Last year, they were second on the ladder by round 18, then stumbled into a finals campaign after they lost to the Saints and had to rely on other results. They will probably finish this year with a win tonight to finish 11th at best with a 9–14 record. It feels like the pressure valve went down after the club backed Vossy in for 2026, but over the summer they have to find a way to deal with the expectations of being a big four club, if they really want to be one. He's a fan favourite already at West Coast, and when he was at Richmond, he was the same. A committed, total team player. Desperate and willing to play any role for his team. But, and I'm sorry for this Liam, he is about to become just the fifth AFL player to win back-to-back flags (at the Tigers in 2019–20) and back-to-back wooden spoons with the Tigers in 2024 and now West Coast in 2025. The other players with this unwanted honour are all Lions: Marcus Ashcroft, Shaun Hart, Chris Johnson and Martin Pike. Now that's a quirky footy trivia question for your next club fundraiser. I get it, he's different and marketable and controversial. He draws heaps of attention for all the obvious reasons. But I love it. As I've said before, we need more personalities in our game who are not afraid of being themselves. Apart from that, he gets the job done on the field every weekend. Smith has been massive for the Cats and will be a key factor in a strong September run for Geelong. Bailey Smith. Credit: Cameron Spencer / Getty Images As a player, Simpson had a top score of 311 and was known as just about the best slips fielder of all time. But it was as Australia's coach that I remember him the most from 1986 to 1996 – my peak cricket-watching years. Under his tutelage and Allan Border's captaincy, Australia was transformed as a team. Think of the players that came through in that time. Too many to name, but I will single out my childhood hero and great Tasmanian Boony. Some of the team's greatest achievements in his time as coach were winning the 1987 World Cup and regaining The Ashes in England in 1989. I vividly recall both those achievements. What a time it was for Aussie cricket fans.
West Australian
8 hours ago
- West Australian
Fremantle Dockers bring Hayden Young back for do-or-die Western Bulldogs clash
Fremantle has pinned its faith in big-bodied midfielder Hayden Young for Sunday's sudden-death clash with the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium. The Dockers are satisfied Young has recovered from an adductor injury and named him in the starting line-up for his first game since the round 21 win over Carlton. Fremantle also recalled Oscar McDonald and Brandon Walker for extra midfield depth, with the pair named on an extended interchange bench. Veteran McDonald could provide extra cover for a backline against the AFL's most potent attack, with Sam Darcy and Aaron Naughton complemented by ruckman Tim English, who often floats down to be a third tall. The Dockers resisted the temptation to bring back another recovering midfielder Matt Johnson, who has missed the past four weeks with an ankle injury. Young and retiring great Nat Fyfe are both set to be in the mix to be subbed in or out of the clash with the Bulldogs. The Western Bulldogs resisted the temptation to recall midfielder Adam Treloar for his first game since round 15. He has had three calf injuries this season. They have recalled intercept defender Liam Jones along with 191cm backman Nick Coffield and livewire forward Arthur Jones into their extended squad. The Dockers must win or draw or rely on Gold Coast losing its final two games to play in its second finals series in Justin Longmuir's six seasons as coach and the Dogs also need a victory to keep their season alive. Young has played only seven games this season with hamstring issues and the adductor injury but is confident he can have an impact, as he did in the round 20 western derby when he won his first Glendinning-Allan Medal. Young said on Thursday he was ready to play after passing a Wednesday fitness test. 'I feel really good, so I'm expecting to be out there,' Young said on 96FM. 'I felt good (on Wednesday), trained well. So I'm excited.' Young hasn't played out a full match since the Anzac Day win over Adelaide in April. Last year's third-place Doig Medal finisher had a delayed start to the season due to a hamstring issue, before going under the knife for surgery following a setback against St Kilda in May. He said late last week he was at confident he could not only play but have an impact, despite his injury issues this season. 'I am not as confident in my body which is fair enough, so that's the challenge going forward,' Young told ABC Radio. 'I think I proved to myself (in the western derby) I can come in and have an impact and my football will take care of itself. 'I'm just doing everything I possibly can to get my body right, so I can go out there and stay out there.' The 24-year-old said Freo would be focusing on turning the game into a contested grind to take away the Dogs' strength of crisp ball movement at a high tempo. 'When you put the game in a contest, you can sort of challenge them,' Young said. 'They love free-flowing games where they can move the ball really quickly. We want to defend well and take that away from them, and hopefully make the game a little bit more of a contest, where we know it can be a bit more even.' Fremantle recorded a 16-point victory at Optus Stadium in the teams' previous meeting earlier this season, a game notable for the absence of Bulldogs superstar Marcus Bontempelli. But the Dogs' form under the Marvel Stadium roof is compelling, having won seven games by at least 70 points at the venue this season. The Dockers have lost their last two game at Marvel Stadium, including a 67-point loss to the Dogs at the venue in 2024.
