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Full name
Michael Barlow
Known as
Michael Barlow
Born
18 December 1987 (age 37)
Place of birth
Shepparton, VIC (3630)
Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 22y 100d
Last game: 30y 250d
Height and weight
Height: 189 cm
Weight: 91 kg
Senior clubs
Werribee; Fremantle; Peel Thunder; Gold Coast; Gold Coast Reserves
Jumper numbers
Fremantle: 21
Gold Coast: 20
Recruited from
Werribee (2010); Fremantle (2017)
State of origin
VIC
Club | League | Career span | Games | Goals | Avg | Win % | AKI | AHB | AMK | BV |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Werribee | VFL | 2008-2009, 2019 | 53 | 48 | 0.91 | — | — | — | — | — |
Fremantle | AFL | 2010-2016 | 126 | 81 | 0.64 | 62% | 11.79 | 13.39 | 4.55 | 48 |
Peel Thunder | WAFL | 2011, 2015-2016 | 4 | 5 | 1.25 | — | — | — | — | — |
Gold Coast | AFL | 2017-2018 | 15 | 11 | 0.73 | 33% | 11.20 | 14.33 | 4.93 | 2 |
Gold Coast Reserves | NEAFL | 2018 | 7 | 3 | 0.43 | — | — | — | — | — |
North Warrnambool | HFNL | 2019, 2024 | 6 | 3 | 0.50 | — | — | — | — | — |
Southern Districts | NTFL | 2020-2021 | 10 | 5 | 0.50 | — | — | — | — | — |
Shepparton United | GVL | 2022-2023 | 2 | 0 | 0.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
VFL | 2008-2009, 2019 | 53 | 48 | 0.91 | — | — | — | — | — | |
AFL | 2010-2018 | 141 | 92 | 0.65 | 59% | 11.73 | 13.49 | 4.59 | 50 | |
WAFL | 2011, 2015-2016 | 4 | 5 | 1.25 | — | — | — | — | — | |
NEAFL | 2018 | 7 | 3 | 0.43 | — | — | — | — | — | |
HFNL | 2019, 2024 | 6 | 3 | 0.50 | — | — | — | — | — | |
NTFL | 2020-2021 | 10 | 5 | 0.50 | — | — | — | — | — | |
GVL | 2022-2023 | 2 | 0 | 0.00 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Total | 2008-2024 | 223 | 156 | 0.70 | — | — | — | — | — |
AFL: 11,821st player to appear, 1,509th most games played, 1,198th most goals kickedFremantle: 147th player to appear, 34th most games played, 25th most goals kickedGold Coast: 89th player to appear, 101st most games played, 58th most goals kicked
Please note this player profile has been sourced from Wikipedia. A biography of this player written especially for australianfootball.com is in preparation.
Unlike most current players in the AFL, Fremantle's Michael Barlow did not play in the TAC Cup as a junior, but instead played for Shepparton United in the Goulburn Valley Football League, where he represented Victoria Country in 2007 as a 19 year old. He moved to play for the Werribee Football Club in the Victorian Football League in 2008. He had a very successful season in 2009, having moved from the forward line into the midfield, winning Werribee's best player award, the Fothergill-Round Medal as the league's best young player, came second in the 2009 JJ Liston Trophy for the league's best and fairest player, and was named in the VFL's Team of the Year in both 2008 and 2009.
After training with St Kilda during the 2009 pre-season and with Essendon after the 2009 season, Barlow was drafted to Fremantle Football Club with their first selection in the 2010 Rookie Draft—the eighth overall. He was one of eight players from the Victorian Football League (VFL) selected in the rookie draft. Alex Silvagni was also drafted to Fremantle from the Casey Scorpions. He also continued the trend of Fothergill-Round medallists being rookie listed, with all bar one of the previous seven winners being selected in the rookie draft: Michael Firrito (2002), Aaron Davey (2003), Adam Fisher (won the medal in 2004, rookie listed in 2003), Jason Davenport (2006), Shane Valenti (2007) and Robin Nahas (2008).
After performing well in Fremantle's three NAB Cup pre-season games, Barlow was promoted to Fremantle's senior list as a nominated rookie, enabling him to play throughout the 2010 AFL season.
He made a successful debut for Fremantle in the opening round of the 2010 AFL season, gaining 33 possessions and kicking two goals, and was named as one of the best players on the ground. It was the most possessions gained by a player on debut since the AFL's official data partner, Champion Data, began collecting statistics in 1992, beating Bradd Dalziell's 32 possessions in 2008. In his first Derby (R6 2010), Barlow was awarded the Ross Glendinning Medal for being the best player on the ground. His game consisted of 10 kicks, 15 handballs, four marks, eight tackles and a goal.
A broken leg ended Barlow's season in Round 14 against Port Adelaide: late in the final quarter of the game, an awkward collision with teammate Rhys Palmer saw Barlow cleanly break both the tibia and fibula in his left leg, a few inches below the knee.
He was awarded the Best First Year Player Award at the 2010 AFLPA awards, despite missing eight home and away games due to his broken leg.
Barlow returned to the Dockers' line-up in mid 2011, and has a been a valuable contributor to the side since then.