If he can improve his concentration and decision making, a senior berth is his for the taking in a new look Swans outfit.
But if Barlow fails to capitalise on his promising 10-game stint at the end of '09, he knows 2010 could be his last hurrah at the top level.
Hence, the 22-year-old is determined to make every post a winner.
"This year is a make or break year for me. I'm really looking forward to it and I'm really excited by the challenge," he said.
"The coaches were really happy with the way that I went about the back end of last year and the way that I could string those 10 games together at the end of the season.
"There were just a few little points that I needed to work on and that's the concentration levels, making sure that I get a lot more consistent with my football.
"I need to work on being in the game for the whole time and not dropping off. If something goes wrong, I can't dwell on it but instead, I need to always try to be positive and keep in the game."
Standing an imposing 196cm and weighing in at 99kg, Barlow's physique more closely resembles that of a key forward than a hard-running flanker.
But his exceptional aerobic capabilities allow the Swans' coaching staff to deploy him all over the ground.
Along with NSW scholarship holder Nathan Gordon, who has been promoted to the rookie list, Barlow has led the pack in the Swans' pre-season running sessions.
Instead of finding it hard to settle in one position, Barlow said he revelled in his versatility.
"I've been playing mostly down forward and I've enjoyed that, but in the back half of the year, the coaches put me down in defence, across the half-back line," he said.
"I also spent a bit of time on the wing. Honestly, I sort of like that I can play in those few positions.
"If you look at the game now, there are so many players who can play across several positions. There are only a few who play the one role."
However, Barlow conceded that the extended run in the senior side had made it much easier to work on his performance.
"You get a lot more confident and you just get used to playing at that level and at that pace," he said.
"AFL football is so much quicker than what I was used to in the Canberra league. It was great to be able to get some games together."
With the departure of so many of the club's experienced stars, Barlow said it was exciting to see the array of opportunities that had opened up for the Swans' younger brigade in 2010.
"So many good players have gone out at the end of this season and it will be good to see which players can come in and make a spot their own," he said.
"Hopefully it will be me, but there are a lot of other young kids at the club that I'm sure everyone's going to see a lot of."
