AFL Draft 2023: Oliver Wiltshire on being drafted by Geelong and Matthew Scarlett’s guidance

Oliver Wiltshire was stunned when he was asked if he had AFL aspirations. Months later, he was drafted out of local football. He opens up on the experience and a TV drama on the night.

Oliver Wiltshire has been drafted by Geelong. Picture: Mark Wilson

It was during the pre-season when Geelong champion Matthew Scarlett, who had joined Barwon Heads as an assistant coach last year, pulled Oliver Wilshire aside.

The Australian Football Hall of Fame member saw something special in the Seagulls talent, and asked Wiltshire whether he had any AFL aspirations.

Wiltshire was bemused given the apprentice carpenter had returned to the Bellarine Football Netball League in 2022 to play with his mates after failing to make much of an impact in his two seasons at the Geelong Falcons.

“I was like, ‘aw to be honest, it is everyone’s dream but haven’t thought about that at all, I’m only playing BFL’,” Wiltshire recalled.

Matthew Scarlett saw something special in Oliver Wiltshire.

By mid-year, that seemingly unreachable goal posed by Scarlett didn’t seem so farfetched.

Playing primarily as a midfielder in Barwon Heads’ premiership season in 2022 – alongside TV personality and former AFL player Tony Armstrong – Wiltshire told co-coach Sam Schaller and Mitch Herbison he wanted to kick more goals in 2023.

And boy, did he do that.

The 21-year-old set tongues wagging in the Geelong area with a 12-goal haul in round four for Barwon Heads against Modewarre – who were no stragglers, either, finishing in the finals.

It was after that game that Wiltshire started to get a sense that interest was also coming from AFL clubs.

A modest Wiltshire thought he got onto the end of a few cheapies that day, kicking 10 goals in the second half, including a few pot shots from the boundary, but clearly there was something there.

“After that Modewarre game where I kicked 12 I had a few whispers in my ear that recruiters were coming down and watching me,” Wiltshire said.

“The first half I think I was on two goals from the midfield. The goals just started streaming in from that. I think the third quarter I kicked a few more but the last quarter I had everyone looking for me.

“Going back and watching back that highlight reel they were all pretty cheap I reckon.”

Schaller and other Barwon Heads figures started to see AFL recruiters at BFNL games, regarded as the second strongest competition in the region behind the Geelong FNL, purely to watch one player.

They saw some miraculous things from the high-flyer as he slotted 51 goals in 18 matches, with Scarlett providing him with guidance along the way.

Oliver Wiltshire kicked plenty of goals in 2023. Picture: Alan Barber

“He obviously had some moments where he wasn’t getting his hands on the footy and then all of a sudden he’d sit on someone’s head and take a hanger and wheel around and kick a goal from 45m out on the boundary,” Schaller said.

“Noone else can do that in our comp, and there’s probably not many who can do that around Australia.

“He’s quick, great on both sides of his body, really tough and courageous. His impact is pretty phenomenal.

Wiltshire started to have more conversations with clubs after that point.

But the clear frontrunner the whole way through was Geelong, with a memorable chat over a coffee with Geelong football boss Andrew Mackie sticking in the memory.

Schaller believes Scarlett – a three-time premiership teammate of Mackie’s and a former assistant coach at the Cats – and his connection to the club definitely helped things progress.

“He’s got some pretty close connections to Geelong and some good mates and (Scarlett) probably saw it first-hand himself when he came down last year for training and into games going ‘geez, he’s obviously pretty special’,” Schaller said.

BARWON HEADS BOY

Esteemed Geelong recruiter Stephen Wells phoned Schaller at 4pm on Monday to ask about Wiltshire. From that conversation he had a feeling that he would land at the Cats hours later.

Wells is renowned for plucking talent from anywhere – think Tom Stewart from South Barwon and the VFL, Francis Evans from the VAFA and Ollie Dempsey from school football – and isn’t afraid to raise a few eyebrows.

Wiltshire also had promising conversations and gathered his mates together just in case things went his way.

Sure enough, the fairytale was complete – the lifelong Cats fan had been taken with pick 61 in the national draft, leaving draft experts

But there was a twist to come. Wiltshire might need a new Wi-Fi router, as the AFL Draft stream he was watching cut out just as his name was called.

Suddenly, it came to life and the first thing he heard was, “Barwon Heads boy”, before the place erupted.

“We were all sitting around the couch and the screen that we were watching on cut out, so I didn’t hear my name. We just heard, ‘Barwon Heads boy’ and everyone just went off,” Wiltshire said with a laugh.

“That’s when everyone got around me and had a great night and me phone is blowing up.”

Wiltshire received messages from Stewart – who came from a long way back just like Wiltshire – as well as coach Chris Scott and his former Geelong Falcons teammates Tanner Bruhn, Ollie Henry, Ted Clohesy, Toby Conway and Jhye Clark, who he will be reunited with at the Cats.

While Wiltshire probably knew it was coming in recent weeks, his rise from local footballer to Geelong’s senior list still doesn’t feel real.

“To be honest right now it still hasn’t sunk in and I’m still in shock,” Wiltshire.

“Was lucky enough to have Scarlo come down all of last season and he saw something in me and I just enjoy playing footy down at Barwon Heads, love playing with my mates.

“To now be on a list is, I don’t know, I’m lost for words.”

COUNTRY SMOKEY

So what is the country smokey like as player?

“Got a big tank, throw me head over the footy and love kicking a snag,” Wiltshire said.

“All the boys reckon I’ve got some hops but I’m not sure about that. Definitely need to put on some size though I’m a bit of a skinny boy.

“Obviously I’ll go in there and work me arse off, playing (in 2023) would be awesome and I’ll give it me all, put on some size and if I could, whenever it is, I’d be over the moon.”

Wiltshire hopes his selection inspires other players not to give up on their dream and brings greater attention to the Bellarine Football Netball League.

“It goes unnoticed. It’s awesome for me to get picked up and I hope there’s more people in the BFNL to get looked at and get the opportunity that I have,” Wiltshire said.

The town of Barwon Heads is buzzing and if they weren’t Cats fans already, many will be jumping on the bandwagon.

“Ollie could have gone to any club that he wanted, could have played a bit higher, but he stuck with Barwon Heads and he’s got rewarded for it,” Schaller said.

“It just goes to show if you stick to where you are, anything is possible and just for our little town, our little community it is huge to have someone to go down the highway to play at the top level.”

“It’s pretty unheard of... I think just for us it sort of proves that Ollie probably at the end of last year could have gone to any club that he wanted, could have played a bit higher, but he stuck with Barwon Heads and he’s got rewarded for it.”

Originally published as AFL Draft 2023: Oliver Wiltshire on being drafted by Geelong and Matthew Scarlett’s guidance