Michael Barlow was appointed the club’s head of development in October 2023.

Barlow played 141 games for Fremantle and the Gold Coast Suns from 2010 – 2018 after being picked up from Werribee in the VFL as a mature-age recruit.

He transitioned into coaching following his departure from the Suns, returning to Werribee as a playing assistant coach for two seasons before being promoted to senior coach ahead of the 2021 season.

In 2023, he was named the VFL coach of the year after leading Werribee to a 17-game winning streak and the side’s first Grand Final appearance in almost two decades.