The Swans’ appearance in the grand final brings certain guarantees: a surge of newly-bought red and white scarves across the harbour city, and increased interstate scrutiny on the club’s successful academy.
But Chad Warner has provided the club with another talent conveyor belt – which started in the fiercely competitive domain of the family garden back home in Perth.
Chad Warner has established himself as one of the game’s elite talents this yearCredit: James Brickwood
Chad is the oldest of four boys, with his brother Corey already at the club and Ashton, 17, and Troy, 15, ready to follow them into the AFL. The scary thing is, Warner believes the two youngest brothers could be the best of the bunch.
“Without having to pump them up too much, I think they are going to be better. I’ll have to look out for them, but I’ll obviously be trying to make sure that doesn’t happen – as hard as I can anyway,” Warner joked.
Warner helped devise a chaotic and competitive game for his brothers growing up that was a mixture of basketball and Australian rules and provided a strong testing ground for the future AFL hopefuls.
“There’s four of us boys, and we’d usually go myself and the fourth one [Troy] in the team versus Corey and the third one [Ashton],” Warner said. “It’d get pretty nasty at times, but that’s what it’s all about.
Chad Warner celebrates with fans after the Swans beat the Giants in the qualifying final at the SCGCredit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
“Our front yard was pretty big, so we’d either go cricket or basketball, and then we invented this one game where it’s on the grass and the basketball ring comes on the grass, and then it’s football, but mixed with basketball.
“So you play football, but then you score in the basketball hoop, so it’s pretty much just tackle basketball, that’s all it was.”
Warner played junior football for East Fremantle, where he did enough to earn selection at 39 in the 2019 draft, with Corey following him to the Swans two years later with pick number 40.
Warner’s parents were happy to encourage their boys’ love of sport but let it happen organically, without applying any pressure to make an elite grade – which the Swans star is thankful for.
“That’s the one thing I think I can appreciate especially about Dad and Mum is growing up, they obviously sacrificed a lot and did a lot for us, but then kind of where myself and Corey are now coming through these ranks, they just sit back and come for the ride and never try to give me too much advice or tell me what I’m doing wrong.
“They know that obviously I know what I’m doing, and the coaches know what they’re doing.”
Warner’s parents will travel to the MCG from Perth to attend their eldest son’s second grand final, against the Brisbane Lions on Saturday, after he was a rare bright spark in the Swans’ last appearance in 2022 when they lost comprehensively to Geelong.
Two years later, Warner is one of the game’s best midfielders, with his contract due to expire in 2025 leading inevitably to increased scrutiny off the field. Beyond his brother Corey, Warner has also found a supportive network among the Swans squad.
“I think it obviously helps having a lot of boys at this club who have been in the same boat (dealing with increased attention), whether it’s this year or previous year,” Warner said.
“Isaac [Heeney], Errol [Gulden], Logan [McDonald], they’ve all been a part of that as well. So bouncing ideas off them and I guess just having them to talk about your feelings and their experience as well has helped a lot.”
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