New Werribee senior coach Michael Barlow says his experiences as both a player and an assistant coach will hold him in good stead when he officially takes the reins at Chirnside Park.
Barlow was announced as Mark Williams’ replacement on Monday after the Port Adelaide premiership coach accepted a development role at Melbourne for 2021.
The 33-year-old spent two years at Werribee before he was drafted to Fremantle and flourished under Ross Lyon, before returning to work alongside Williams as a playing assistant coach in 2019.
“I already used a ‘Choco-ism’ last night (Monday) on our zoom meeting when I was announced as coach to our playing group and staff,” Barlow told SEN Mornings.
“He has a knack of always saying, ‘that’s pretty cool’ so I used that as my opening statement to the players. It’s pretty cool to be given this opportunity.
“There’s going to be a little bit of Choco and a little bit of Ross.
“What I think has been a real bonus for me across my playing career and my coaching career is associating and attaching myself to really good people in that space – like Ross and like Choco.
“I’ve also lived a lot of the experiences – I’ve been delisted twice, so I understand the disappointment around non-selection, injury, those hard conversations where you sit down with the coaching staff – it’s uncomfortable, but it is necessary.
“I’ve lived a lot of those experiences which I think gives me a real leg-up into the job, not to say it’s all going to be a walk in the park, but I’m pretty excited by what it all holds.”
Barlow, who played 141 AFL games for Fremantle and Gold Coast, was set to coach Western Region Football League side Yarraville-Seddon in 2021 before Werribee came calling.