Michael Barlow and Western Bulldog Dale Morris have a fair amount in common.

Both plied their trade at VFL club the Werribee Tigersbefore being drafted as 20-somethings onto AFL rookie lists.

They both made instant impacts, Barlow as a midfielder and Morris as a defender, a position he made All Australian at in 2008.

Something they have in common that they wish they didn’t were terrible leg injuries that kept them out of the game for a very long time.

Barlow’s broken leg in 2010 sidelined him from football for a year, and from his best for even longer.

Morris sustained a broken tibia in his lower right leglate in 2011. He played his first home and away game since the injury in round 1 this season.

Following Freo’s round 2 win over the Dogs at Etihad Stadium, the pair crossed paths and exchanged a few words.

Barlow had not previously had much contact with Morris, save for the odd text or two during the Bulldog’s recovery period.

“I just asked him how he was feeling and how he was pulling up,” Barlow said.

“It was really good to hear that he was feeling pretty good and pulling up better and better, game to game.

“I think he was just excited to be playing footy again.”

Barlow said it was fantastic to see Morris return from his injury and play good football again, just as he had done.

“There must have been something in the water down in Werribee which ticked us over the edge,” he joked.

If they didn’t already have enough in common, Barlow and Morris now have a development squad named after them at the Werribee Football Club.

Their journeys into the AFL have inspired the Tigers to create the Morris Barlow Squad.

It gives players that may have missed out on underage representative football an opportunity to be identified by Werribee as possible VFL prospects.

“They invite 30-40 kids down every year that haven’t gone down the traditional system and give three or four of them a chance on the VFL list for the year,” Barlow said.

You just never know when the next Morris or Barlow will emerge from the Morris Barlow Squad.