COURAGEOUS Gold Coast midfielder Michael Barlow considered retirement after suffering the second horrific-looking broken leg of his career.

Barlow broke his left tibia and fibula in his debut season in 2010 with Fremantle and there were reminiscent scenes against Carlton last June when he again injured the same leg while being tackled. 

However, his recent injury – a fractured fibula that required surgery – was nowhere near as severe as the original one.

The 30-year-old has a contract until the end of 2018 but said he almost cut that short when asked if he had considered retirement in the wake of the injury.

"Certainly. I probably didn't say it publicly when it first happened midway through the season last year, but when it did happen, the recollection of my first broken leg, that was really a two-year recovery," Barlow told Melbourne radio station SEN on Thursday. 

"I got back playing within a year but was no good for a year pretty much. Soreness and agony getting out of bed and in the night with that one. Those memories did come flooding back, to be honest.

"This time around, it wasn't as severe, but at the same time, you have those reservations about your recovery. I haven't missed a beat, it feels really good and I'm just absolutely stoked.

"Compared to the first one, (it was) about 15 per cent as severe, although it did kind of look as nasty."

Barlow is back in full training and came second to Kade Kolodjashnij in the club's 2km time trial last Tuesday.