BIO: David Barlow was born and raised in Melbourne (VIC) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Sandringham basketball program.

FAMILY: Barlow and his wife Tiwi have one child. His wife is a native of Bali

NBL EXPERIENCE

David Barlow made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 19 years of age. He scored one point in his first NBL game.

After graduating from Metro State University in 2003, Barlow returned to Australia and signed with the Sydney Kings. As a rookie Barlow averaged 1.5 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.2 assists and the Kings finished in first place with a record of 26-7.

2004/05
In 2004/05, Barlow averaged 2.7 points and 1.5 rebounds, and helped guide the Kings to a first place finish in the regular season with a 21-11 record.

2005/06
The 2005/06 season saw Barlow average 10.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists and play a key role in helping the Kings to a first place finish in the regular season with a 26-6 record.

2006/07
Barlow missed the majority of the 2006/07 season after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee at training the day before the season began. Barlow would return prior to the end of the regular season as the Kings prepared for the NBL playoffs. He finished the season averaging 15.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists and helped the Kings finish with a record of 20-13 and end the regular season in fourth place.

2007/08
In 2007/08, Barlow averaged 16.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists as the Tigers finished with a record of 22-8 and in second place during the regular season.

MELBOURNE TIGERS
2007/08
In 2008/09, Barlow averaged 14.9 points and 5.6 rebounds, and helped guide the Tigers to a second place finish in the regular season with a 20-10 record.

After the 2008/09 season Barlow would spend the following five years playing in Europe.

2014/15 – TIGERS BECOME UNITED
On 20 May 2014, the franchise was re-branded as Melbourne United. The change was a attempt to move away from the Melbourne Tigers junior program which was a team synonymous with ‘poaching’ young talent from other junior programs in Victoria and had negative connotations with much of Victoria’s basketball community. The name, attempting to symbolise a connection to all of Victorian basketball was a decision made by owner Larry Kestelman.

The team retained head coach Chris Anstey and added Tigers legend Daryl Corletto who had spent three years with the New Zealand Breakers. Australian Boomers players David Barlow, who had spent the past five years in Europe and Daniel Kickert signed on with the club as long time captain of the club Tommy Greer retired.

The team retained their Tigers core of Mark Worthington, Lucas Walker and Nate Tomlinson who were all chosen to share the captaincy this season and their last move was to complement the squad by signing their import talent, adding Jordan McRae and Stephen Dennis.

Adam Ballinger, who had signed a two-year deal the previous season, was a part of the team up until the week before the season when United chose to release him. a unfavorable situation for Ballinger as every other NBL team had completed their rosters, leaving Ballinger nowhere to negotiate. He was eventually signed by Illawarra and played the remainder of the season with the Hawks.

United’s inaugural season began with a loss to Cairns (89–61) which saw coach Chris Anstey resign and replaced by his assistant Darryl McDonald. Barlow would average 9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists as United went on to finish the season in fifth place (13–15), missing out on the playoffs.

2015/16
Barlow was forced to sit out the entire 2015/16 season with a achilles injury.

2016/17
With the league allowing three import players per team this season, Melbourne replaced import duo Stephen Holt and Hakim Warrick with Cedric Jackson, Ramone Moore and Devin Williams. They essentially signed a fourth import by then adding Tai Wesley (via New Zealand) who was allowed to sign as a local under the asian player rule and swapped one Boomers big man for another with David Anderson (via Europe) replacing Daniel Kickert (to Sydney).

In coach Dean Demopoulos second season, United started poorly (3-7) and Jackson (10.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.4 steals) quickly being shown the door due to a poor attitude and failing to buy into the team’s defensive principals.

Casper Ware arrived as his replacement shortly after, immediately changing the squad’s direction.

Around this time, Chris Goulding (17.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 steals), who missed six games with ankle issues, began to find his form, and Barlow (5.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists), returned from a calf injury that had seen him unable to take the court at all for the past two years.

Behind Ware (22.1 points, 4.5 assists, and 1.3 steals) and a healthy roster, United turned things around, winning 10 of their last 18 games.

With the team still capable of reaching the playoffs, Devin Williams (3.2 points and 4.0 rebounds), who surprisingly lasted 16 games before being cut after media and fans pointed out his lack of production and called for an import change for most of the season. With a third of the season remaining, Josh Boone (10.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks) arrived and quickly went to work cleaning up Ware and Goulding’s missed shots and finished as the league’s best rebounder. Minute for minute, there was no more effective player than Josh Boone, who finished as Melbourne’s best player in several advanced metrics, including PER, ORtg, DRtg, eFG%, TRB%, and BLK%.

While he avoided the same fate Jackson suffered, Ramone Moore (10.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists) didn’t deliver the type of impact expected of an import either.

Injuries and offensive meltdowns were the storylines this season. Tai Wesley (8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) and Majok Majok (5.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks) were the only two players to compete in all 28 games for United, and coupled with the import turnover, only six players suited up for at least 75% of games. Combine this with the fact that Melbourne finished with the second-worst true shooting percentage in the league and was just 2-5 in games decided by five points.

Ware earned a place in the All-NBL First Team despite playing 18 games, and this combined with United’s strong finish many fans were excited about what the future could bring. This was shown by the almost-capacity crowd of 9,545 showing up at Melbourne’s last home game despite the team having nothing to play for.

In Demopoulos’ second year as head coach, he would struggle managing player relationships, and by the end of the season, it was public knowledge his relationship with certain players wasn’t ‘civil’. A divide between the veterans of the team and the ever-competitive Demopoulos would result in seeing United unable to replicate the success from the previous season, finishing in sixth-place finish (13-15) and both parties moving on at the end of the season.

2017/18
2017 saw the beginning of the ‘Dean Vickerman’ era with the Sydney assistant coach replacing Dean Demopoulos, who had struggled to fit in with the playing group during his tenure. Vickerman signed on for two seasons and shortly after, the team re-signed David Barlow and imports Josh Boone and Casper Ware. Vickerman brought with him forward Craig Moller (via Sydney) as a replacement for the departing Todd Blanchfield (to Illawarra) and added Casey Prather (via Perth) as the team’s third import.

Melbourne won their season opener against Adelaide (99–97) with Prather (20 points) leading the team offensively. Despite United’s hot start, they would win only five of their first ten games.

On December 16, Prather went down with a dislocated elbow in the second quarter of Melbourne’s win over Illawarra (84–78) and was subsequently ruled out for a minimum of eight weeks. While United looked for a injury replacement, development player Felix Von Hofe was elevated into the team until they signed former NBA talent Carrick Felix. Felix joined the team in December and with his addition, the team sparked a strong run home, finishing 15-3 for the remainder of the season.

Barlow would average 3.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game, while Melbourne would finish in first place and face fourth-seed New Zealand in the semifinals. In game one, Prather (15 points) led the team in scoring despite starting on the bench and led United to a 11-point win (88–77). Prather (12 points) then helped Melbourne win game two in overtime (88–86) and progress to the Grand Final. On the opposite side of the bracket, the Adelaide 36ers eliminated the reigning champions Perth in two games as well.

The opening game saw Casper Ware (20 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) come out on fire in the first half, before leaving the game with a hip injury. United sharp-shooter Chris Goulding would then step up with a impressive shooting display (26 points) to give Melbourne the victory (107-96) at Hisense Arena. Daniel Johnson (18 points) led the 36ers in scoring alongside Mitch Creek (14 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists).

In game two, Adelaide came out firing behind Majok Deng (18 points), Mitch Creek (17 points) and Ramone Moore (17 points) and tied the series with a 15-point win (110-95). Melbourne were led by Casey Prather (20 points), who had re-joined the team just prior to the Grand Final series, and Chris Goulding (19 points).

The 36ers win came at a cost, with import Josh Childress (13 points and 8 rebounds) going down with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter that would remove him from the remaining Grand Final games.

The series returned to Melbourne for game three, where tensions exploded at the end of the first half, Adelaide’s Nathan Sobey clashing heads with Casey Prather after the United import hit a three-pointer on the stroke of halftime. The Adelaide guard was called for a disqualifying foul and ejected from the match. There was further drama at the end of the game with players from both teams needing to be separated after the final buzzer. The incident also resulted in 36ers head coach Joey Wright being fined handsomely for questioning the integrity of the referees.

When the smoke settled, Melbourne had squeaked out a narrow victory (101-98) after Adelaide’s Majok Deng missed a game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds. Casper Ware (25 points), Prather (23 points) and Chris Goulding (15 points), who hit three clutch triples to take control of the game, were among United’s best.

Game four saw Adelaide swingman Nathan Sobey (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists), who was ejected in game three for his part in the halftime melee, lead the way for the 36ers in the first half with the scoreboard reading 55-31 at the halfway mark. Again the home team was victorious, Adelaide getting a comfortable win over Melbourne United (90-81). Johnson (29 points and 10 rebounds) and Prather (23 points) top scoring for their respective sides.

In the deciding game five, Goulding, Ware (both 23 points) and Prather (19 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 steals) came to play and Melbourne defeated Adelaide (100-82) in front of a sold-out crowd at Hisense Arena, winning their first title since rebranding from the Tigers. Shannon Shorter (20 points) led Adelaide in scoring, while Chris Goulding was named Finals MVP after averaging 16.6 points and 3.6 rebounds over the five-game series. With the win, Prather collected his third NBL championship to become the first player in NBL history to win three straight titles in his first three seasons in the league.

2018/19
Melbourne entered the 2018/19 season looking to defend their championship. They retained their core group by first re-signing team captain Chris Goulding (two-year deal) and David Barlow (one-year deal) before securing Josh Boone (one-year deal) and Casper Ware (one-year deal), who were challenging to bring back due to strong interest from multiple overseas teams. The team also added DJ Kennedy (via Turkey), Mitch McCarron (via Cairns), and Alex Pledger (via New Zealand) to further strengthen their lineup. Melbourne’s strategy centered on continuity, aiming to keep their championship-winning core intact while adding depth and versatility.

David Barlow (11.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists) continued to be a veteran presence for Melbourne United, providing valuable leadership both on and off the court. His best performances included 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block in a win against Cairns, 23 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists, and 2 steals in a win against New Zealand, and 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in a win against Brisbane.

Barlow’s ability to stretch the floor with his shooting and his versatility to guard multiple positions made him a vital part of United’s success.

Mid-season, Melbourne added Venky Jois (2.2 points and 0.7 rebounds), who had been playing in Japan, to provide additional cover for injuries and strengthen the roster for the playoffs.

Dean Vickerman’s leadership earned him the NBL Coach of the Year award as Melbourne finished second in the regular season (18-10), setting up a semifinal clash against Sydney.

In Game 1 of the semifinals (95-73), David Barlow contributed 10 points and 4 rebounds as Melbourne controlled the game. Casper Ware (22 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists), Chris Goulding (17 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists), and DJ Kennedy (20 points and 7 rebounds) led United to the win. Sydney’s Andrew Bogut (7 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks) struggled offensively, while Kevin Lisch (13 points) and Jerome Randle (13 points) couldn’t overcome Melbourne’s defensive pressure.

In Game 2 of the semifinals (90-76), Barlow added 8 points and 5 rebounds as Melbourne secured the series-clinching victory. Casper Ware (30 points and 5 rebounds) and Chris Goulding (23 points and 3 assists) were United’s top performers. Andrew Bogut (10 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists) had a stronger game, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Melbourne from advancing to face Perth in the Grand Final.

In Game 1 of the Grand Final series (81-71), Barlow added 9 points and 3 rebounds, while Casper Ware (19 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Chris Goulding (15 points and 2 assists) led Melbourne offensively. United were able to limit Perth’s star import Bryce Cotton (10 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists) offensively, but big games from Terrico White (19 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Angus Brandt (14 points and 7 rebounds) powered the Wildcats to victory.

Game 2 of the Grand Final series (92-74) saw Melbourne bounce back, with Barlow contributing 11 points and 4 rebounds. Casper Ware (14 points and 2 assists), Chris Goulding (14 points and 2 rebounds), and DJ Kennedy (12 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists) all stepped up as United evened the series. Bryce Cotton (19 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Terrico White (17 points and 4 rebounds) stood out for Perth.

The loss to Melbourne saw Perth coach Trevor Gleeson make a number of adjustments, and the Wildcats came back to dominate in Game 3 (95-67). Barlow added 13 points and 5 rebounds, while DJ Kennedy (13 points and 10 rebounds) was the only other significant scorer for Melbourne. Bryce Cotton (27 points, 4 rebounds, and 10 assists) and Terrico White (31 points and 7 rebounds) combined for 58 points and came close to outscoring Melbourne themselves.

In the deciding Game 4 (97-84), Barlow contributed 9 points and 4 rebounds as Melbourne fought hard but fell short. Bryce Cotton (28 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals) and Terrico White (20 points and 8 rebounds) led Perth to the title, with Nick Kay (12 points and 10 rebounds) dominating inside. Casper Ware (18 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Chris Goulding (15 points and 4 assists) finished as Melbourne’s top scorers. Terrico White, who had faced criticism earlier in the season, claimed the Grand Final MVP award after averaging 21.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists over the four-game series.

Barlow won Melbourne United’s Best Defensive Player award for the 2018-19 seasonand set an NBL record for the most Grand Final appearances, making his 26th appearance during a championship series.

2019/20
On 20 August 2019, Lual-Acuil signed with Melbourne United who had began the season with a complete rehaul of its roster. The team chose not to re-sign imports Casper Ware and Josh Boone, released Daniel Trist and lost young forward Craig Moller when he signed with Sydney as a free agent.

On 29 April 2019, Barlow re-signed with United but shortly after injured his thumb in a pre-season game. He would miss both of United’s pre-season NBLxNBA games and the first two rounds of the season.

United then signed Lual-Acuil, Shea Ili (who played under Dean Vickerman during his time at the Breakers) and Jack Purchase as the team’s development player. Vickerman then added import duo Melo Trimble from Cairns and Shawn Long via New Zealand who were friends, having played together for the USA National Team. Rounded out the squad David Barlow, Alex Pledger, Tohi Smith-Milner and Casey Prather re-signed with the club.

Casey Prather would agree to a two-year deal, seeing the import forward return to the team for a second stint but after Prather missed the first seven games of the season due to injury, question marks were raised upon the signing. Once he returned to the court he could only muster averages of 9.3 points and 3.3 rebounds, far below his career numbers. He underwent another knee clean-out shortly after and managed to play in six of the next eight games before being ruled out for the rest of the season due to a right hamstring tear. United would sign former NBA talent Stanton Kidd as his injury replacement.

This resulted in United losing four of their first five games of the season and with reports of a rift between players, a coach under pressure and frustrated supporters, the club looked completely rattled. By late-November however, United sat third on the ladder (7-4) behind six consecutive wins were the highest scoring team in the competition (99.7 points-per-game). Melo Trimble (19.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.2 steals) would lead United in scoring, alongside Long (18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks) and Captain Chris Goulding (17.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists).

Barlow finished the season averaging 7.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.9 assists while Melbourne recovered from a poor start to the season and finished in fourth place (15-13).

Melbourne would then face Sydney in the semifinals where despite

Long (23 points, 10 rebounds, and 1 block) controlling the inside and a huge scoring effort by Trimble (34 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals) coming off the bench, United would lose game one (80-86) in Sydney. Xavier Cooks (21 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists) and Jae’Sean Tate (19 points and 5 rebounds) doing most of the damage for the Kings.

They returned to Melbourne for game two where United would even the series, thanks to a combined effort from their import trio, with Long (26 points and 11 rebounds), Trimble (21 points and 2 steals) and Kidd (18 points and 4 rebounds) all delivering when it counted. The damage was done during the second quarter, where United outscored the Kings 32-7, a lead that allowed them to win by 45 points at full time (125-80). Tate (18 points and 6 rebounds) led Sydney in scoring. The series decider was played at Qudos Bank Arena, in a game that came down to the final seconds. Goulding (19 points and 3 assists) led Melbourne in scoring, but Tate (20 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists) and the Kings were able to come away with a two point win, and proceed to the Grand Final, ending United’s season.

2020/21
After multiple seasons trying to get import Casey Prather back onto the court, both United and Prather mutually agreed to terminate the second season of his contract. Melbourne would then rejig their roster by adding Jack White (via Duke University) and Japanese star Yudai Baba (one-year deal), who signed with the team on an NBL Special Restricted Player contract. The team also re-signed team captain Chris Goulding (three-year deal), David Barlow (one year deal), Mason Peatling (three year deal) and Sam McDaniel (one year deal). United would rely on their local talent this season, signing Scotty Hopson (via Europe) as their lone import for the season and, as their last move, was able to sign Australian Boomers forward Jock Landale (one-year deal) mere weeks prior to the season tip-off, after his Lithuania contracted was voided due to Covid Travel Restrictions.

United suffered a huge set-back during the first month of the season when rookie Jack White, who was averaging 10 points and 6 rebounds as a starter and was a strong pick for the rookie of the year award suffered a season-ending Achilles injury against the Cairns Taipans in April. Jack would require 12 months of rehabilitation and miss the remainder of the season. Former United big man David Andersen was signed as an injury replacement player.

The 2020/21 season saw Barlow average 5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists and played a pivotal role, providing a offensive punch off the bench while shooting a career-high 48.4% from 3-point range. Barlow also finished the season as the most efficient offensive player in the league in 2020/21, averaging 1.17 points per possession.

Despite a roller-coaster season that saw United make their run to the championship on the road, Melbourne finished the season in first place with a 28-8 record. United would draw Victorian rivals, the South East Melbourne Phoenix as their semi finals opponents but with the Victorian lockdown keeping both team’s out of the state, their semi finals series began in empty arenas in held in Sydney.

The two Melbourne team’s split the first two games playing at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena before returning to Melbourne to play the deciding game three with the winner going on to face the Perth Wildcats in the Grand Final. After trailing 32-15 early in the second quarter, Melbourne’s defence locked in to hold South East Melbourne to just 42 points the rest of the night while scoring 69 themselves. With Landale (27 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks) equalling his season-high for points, shooting 11-13 from the floor and a perfect 3/3 from beyond, United came away with the victory (84-74).

In the same game, Goulding (14 points) notched up his 350th game while Mitch McCarron (11 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists), Scotty Hopson (9 points and 6 boards), and Jo Lual-Acuil (8 points and 3 rebounds) all played important roles in the win. Reuben Te Rangi (22 points) and Mitch Creek (19 points) were key contributors for the Phoenix.

Due to the border restrictions by the Western Australian state government the Perth Wildcats (the lower seed) hosted the first two games of the Grand Final series. While the Wildcat’s remained competitive without their injured superstar Bryce Cotton United would win both games in Perth and return to Melbourne to host the third game (United would have also hosted the fourth and fifth games had they not already won the series by the third game).

A sold-out 5,000-strong crowd at John Cain Arena (the maximum allowed within Covid restrictions) witnessed United defeat Perth (81-76) in what would be Melbourne’s sixth championship and their second under the United branding. Landale (15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) continued to rack up stats in every category, making him a obvious choice for the Finals MVP.

2021/22
After winning the 2021 championship, Melbourne lost its leading scorer Jock Landale to a NBA opportunity with San Antonio and starting point guard Mitch McCarron, who became the league’s highest paid local player as a result of signing a three-year deal with Adelaide. United then quickly turned their attention to rebuilding the roster for the NBL22 season, immediately re-signing Lual Acuil, David Barlow and Shea Ili, received a boost from the return of Jack White, who missed the second half of last season to a ACL injury, and added free agents Brad Newley (via Sydney) and Dion Prewster, who had just won the NZNBL MVP award. Next, United secured the biggest free agent of the year, inking NBA champion Matthew Dellavedova to a three-year deal. Lastly, Caleb Agada, who had just played for Nigeria at the Olympics was replaced import Scotty Hopson and talented young German Ariel Hukporti was added to the roster under the Next Stars program.

Outside of a 0-2 start, United were dominant all season, winning their next three games to end December and then losing only one game (5-1) in January while playing all of their games on the road.

In January 2022, Goulding reached 5,000 NBL points, becoming just the second active player to reach the milestone behind Daniel Johnson (Adelaide).

In February, United would win four of their five games and with a record of 12-4 sit atop of the NBL ladder where they would stay for the remainder of the season. Jo Lual Acuil (16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks) would lead the team in scoring and earn selection to the All-NBL First team while Chris Goulding (15.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) was named to the All-NBL Second Team. The impact of Shea Ili (8.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.4 steals) off the bench was also recognised around the league with him winning the Sixth Man of the Year award. Barlow would appear in 24 games, while averaging 1.6 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.5 assists and helped United finish the regular season in first place (20-8).

Tasmania would finish fourth on the ladder in their first NBL season, setting up a semi final series against United. As expected, United defeated the JackJumpers in game one (74-63) but playing their first game of playoff basketball at home, Tasmania leveled the series (1-1) with a win in game two. Heading into the deciding game three, captain Goulding was deemed unfit to play, which allowed Tasmania to take clamp down on the defensive end. Without Goulding, United couldn’t buy a basket from outside, with Dellavedova (1-7), Agada (0-7), White (0-5) and Baba (0-2) shot a combined 1-21 from beyond the arc. Overall, United went 6-29 (20 per cent) from three, compared to the JackJumpers 10-32 (31 per cent). Still, United were able to keep it close, and it was only in the final moments that Tasmania secured the victory (76-73), ending Melbourne’s playoff run and making history by reaching a Grand Final in their debut season..

2022/23
After Melbourne finished the previous season on top of the ladder but suffered a early playoff exit after losing star guard Chris Goulding to injury, many felt United would return as championship favourites. Unexpectedly, however, United lost almost half of their starting unit prior to their first game as a result of injuries and better opportunities overseas.

Leading scorer Jo Lual Acuil, was very keen to stay in Melbourne but exited the club after receiving a offer to play in China, which was far too good to refuse.

White and Dellavedova were both contracted for this season, but with only weeks before tip-off, both secured deals to play in the NBA from Denver and Sacramento respectively. The loss of both players couldn’t have come at a worse time, as most players around the globe had already signed deals with team’s, leaving very few options available to replace them. Isaac Humphries (via Adelaide), Xavier Rathan-Mayes (via Illawarra), Rayjon Tucker and Jordan Caroline were all signed, and David Barlow, who had announced his retirement, returned to help fill the gaps.

Things went from bad to worse when Next Star Ariel Hukporti went down clutching his lower leg during the NBL Blitz in Darwin. With starting centre Hukporti out for the season, Humphries, who was coming back from a serious bout of knee problems, was thrust into playing major minutes. The absence of a clear backup big man forced veteran forwards Barlow and Brad Newley, as well as import Jordan Caroline, to log considerable minutes at the centre position.

United were able to win their first game of the season, a overtime victory against New Zealand (101–97) off the back of a huge night from Rathan-Mayes (33 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists).

Rathan-Mayes (14.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists), who had been recruited to lead the team’s second unit, was thrust into the starting lineup after Shea Ili (8.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists) became a late omission, a result of a concussion suffered during FIBA qualifying games while playing for New Zealand. Ili would drift in and out of the team’s roster for most of the season, appearing in only 13 games through three separate stints, forcing Tucker to spend time out of position and running the floor in his absence.

Melbourne (5-6) struggled through the first three months of the season, with numerous media outlets calling for a import change to try and improve their situation. While Tucker (17.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists), who, when first signed, proclaimed that he would be the ‘best first year import in the league’ was a long way away from that, it was Caroline (5.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 0.7 assists) who came into United’s program as a high-effort, bustling power forward but failed to establish himself as a undersized centre and was axed.

Marcus Lee (9.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks), a former teammate of Humphries, was signed in November, adding size and interior defence to the squad and sparking a major turnaround for Melbourne. During this time, United also got a boost from the return of Ili, and Tucker finally began to find his feet offensively.

The last straw seemed to be a loss to Illawarra (93–79), who at the time had only one to their credit for the entire season. This loss, combined with Melbourne finally being able to put their intended starting roster fit on the floor, resulted in a 16-point win over Brisbane (104-88) the following game. Goulding (20 points), Tucker (20 points), Lee (18 points), Ili (15 points) and Rathan-Mayes (8 points and 10 rebounds) off the bench, all producing good numbers and gelling together for the first time. Following their shock defeat to the Hawks, United ended their campaign on a 11-3 run.

Melbourne’s turnaround saw them enter the final day of the regular season with hopes of scraping into the Play-In Qualifier. It looked like United would make it after Tucker (31 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) carried the team to a win over Adelaide (116–107) in their last game, a Perth victory over league leaders Sydney saw them claim the final playoff spot due to points percentage.

A telling sign of what hindered Melbourne this season was the fact this marked the first time a Dean Vickerman led United team had finished the season outside the top five in the competition in defensive rating. Despite their poor form, United were a part of multiple historic events during the season. United faced off against reigning and eventual champs Sydney on Christmas, which drew more than 300,000 people to their TV screens and sparked a new tradition across Australia. Tucker (31 points and 5 rebounds) would finish as the game’s highest scorer, but United would suffer a 21-point loss to the Kings (101-80). On the back of big man Isaac Humphries (9.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks) publicly announcing he was gay, the team also spearheaded a NBL pride round. As a part of the round that celebrated the LGBTQ+ community.

Barlow would appear in 21 games this season and average 3.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.

After the 2022/23 season Barlow retired and moved into a assistant coaching role having suited up for the second-most games in club history (227), including its two Championships in 2018 and 2021. Barlow also holds the record for playing in more NBL Grand Final games than any other player in history (29).David Barlow played fourteen seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Sydney Kings and the Melbourne United. He averaged 8.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 388 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (811 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.