Shepparton Swans product Oliver Warburton details his journey from Princess Park to the precipice of the promised land

The Shepparton Swans product’s early years were spent at Princess Park, where his game was built in a grassroots grounding, each kick and tackle a verse in his evolving narrative.

Life at Murray Bushrangers, the regional talent factory that has turned northern Victorian paddocks into breeding grounds for AFL stars, followed.

By the time he debuted for Vic Country, his play was unmistakably Warburton: a mix of quiet aggression and poetic precision.

He’s the kind of player who needs not to shout for attention. His game does all the talking.

And as the AFL Draft looms, Warburton remains the reluctant star of his own narrative.

Whether his name is called or not, he is unmoved.

“I try not to read into it too much, but it's not in my hands at the moment,” he said.

“I've done the best I could and I’m just grateful for the coaches and everyone that has supported me through my journey, especially my family.

“They've shown how I can play footy and what hard work is. I guess it’s just wait and see.”

Warburton boasts hard work in spades; the mid-defender has a V8 engine and work rate to match.

He’s had no shortage of opportunities to sharpen the instruments in his tool kit during the past four years, splitting his time between Shepparton and Melbourne while boarding at Caulfield Grammar.

There, among the gothic halls and manicured ovals, he balanced a double life of elite school football and studies.

“It's been a good 2024 — it's been pretty packed with school footy, Vic Country and, obviously, Bushies,” he said.

“I've just learnt how to be accountable and hard work, you need to show when you're moving across each platform and each team.

“The best highlight for me was definitely playing the grand final against Vic Metro and coming back to play Bushies.

“You’ve got 24 of the best young players in the country (at the championships), so you’re trying to learn off them, work off them and see their ways of going about it.

“It’s a learning environment, so everyone just wants to get better.”

Warburton reached the final of the under-18 AFL National Championships with Vic Country where Vic Metro pipped it by a point, averaging 18.5 disposals across four games.

He also racked up 25.9 touches, 3.6 rebound 50s and three inside 50s a game for the Bushrangers in 2024, and he played twice for Collingwood’s VFL outfit, returning 15 and 12 disposals respectively.

It’s as impressive a season as Warburton has had and it’s come at the perfect moment.

His school days are done.

So too is his time at the Bushrangers.

Now could the perfect graduation present be a spot on an AFL list?

“I haven't really thought about it too much,” he said.

“I definitely think about the other boys, where they're going to go, but not too much about me.”

Warburton is part of a wildly-talented Bushrangers crop and the likes of Joe Berry and twin sensations Jack and Matt Whitlock have kept him honest with his training.

“Footy is just evolving at the moment how hard you have to train and how fit you have to be, so I think that the most important bit is working hard,” he said.

“I’ve got a good bunch of mates at the Bushies like the Whitlocks and the Berry and they drive me hard as well.

“I'm looking forward to (this) week for those boys, especially the Whitlocks and the Berry; I think they should go on to do big things.

“They've been the best mates for me, so I’m very grateful for them.”

While Berry and the Whitlocks appear to be locks as first round draft picks, Warburton’s name has been bandied about at a lower frequency than his fellow Murray machines.

But that might not be a bad thing.

Warburton models his game off another roughie, Essendon two-way runner Nic Martin, who joined the Bombers as a pre-season supplemental selection after missing out on the AFL and Rookie Drafts.

Not only that, Warburton’s dad Brett was taken at pick 51 in the inaugural Rookie Draft in 1997 by Collingwood and, though, his AFL career didn’t take off, he became a legend of Goulburn Valley League and coached the Swans to their last senior flag in 2014.

Warburton’s home club has helped support him to become the player he is today and, though, the run-and-gun half-back wasn’t able to make a senior appearance at Princess Park this season, he did say “one day, we'll see”.

“The Swans have been my club since I could remember, pretty much most of my life, so they've been a big part of my journey,” he said.

“From ‘Sudsy’ (Swans president Jarrod Sutherland), my dad, just everyone, the boys I've grown up playing with them for 10 years now.

“It’s been a big journey and I’m so grateful to have Swans on board.”

Warburton named another Swans statesman, Paul Hawke, as “a massive mentor” while praising his family for its unwavering support through his journey.

He also credited Bushrangers coach Mark Brown for a rather significant development in his career.

“Mark Brown, I've been with him for three years now, so he's taught me the ways,” he said.

“I'd always played mid, mid-forward when I was younger and growing up.

“This year Browny said, ‘we'll chuck you in the backline and we'll see how it goes’. I've never gone back.”

Whatever future lies in front of Warburton, it’s bound to entail bombing down flanks, lacing up teammates with laser-like precision and no shortage of gut-busting runs both ways.

And while he’s not sure whether that’ll come at AFL, VFL level or otherwise, this Swans star has one true north.

“I just want to have fun,” he said.

After all, the brightest flames burn with a purpose.