‘Son Son’ hurt his left ankle in round 3 against Hawthorn and was ruled out for up to 16 weeks after he underwent surgery.
The classy forward has been on crutches for the past month, but he will lose them this week, ending a frustrating period.
“I had to go everywhere with them,” he said.
“Especially in the locker room when it’s all wet, I always had to be careful and cautious of where I was stepping.
“I can finally put some weight on the ankle, which is good, it’s a step forward.”
Walters cannot wait to start rehab and build on his strength and fitness.
“I’m doing a bit of boxing and a bit of upper-body weights to try and build myself up and make myself a little bit stronger while I can and make myself fitter, especially in the cardio area,” he said.
“I’m just hoping that once I’m back, I’m fit enough.”
Renowned for his prowess between the ropes, boxing is one of Walters’ favourite fitness routines. He likes it a little bit more than swimming, which is reluctantly also part of his rehab program.
“I enjoy boxing, it’s a bit different to swimming, which is a bit harder,” he said.
“I wouldn’t call it swimming, I’d call it drowning more than anything.”
Another source of Walters’ frustration has been watching from the sidelines.
He said it has really hurt him not being able to be out there with his teammates.
“I get frustrated because we could play better than what we have been at the moment,” he said.
“We started off well, but it’s just frustrating, especially when I know the boys can do better, but we’re just not executing.”
Walters has tried to maintain a positive frame of mind during his time away from playing, and he hasn’t given up on returning in 2014.
“I’m fluctuating between negative thoughts and the positive ones, but I’m really hoping I can get back as soon as I can and I’m going to do everything I can so I do come back soon.”
