It’s 70 years now since Carlton’s Keith Warburton, the high-flyer endearingly remembered as “the acrobat in football boots”, last chased the leather for the old dark Navy blues.

That happened in the 11th Round of 1955, against Richmond at Punt Road Oval, in what doubled as the freakish aerialist’s 74th senior appearance.

Sixteen years later, Keith’s son Peter would further the Warburton-Carlton connection with the first of four senior matches through 1971 and the Premiership year of ’72. 

Fast forward to last Saturday night, and Oliver Warburton, with his first appearance for the Carlton VFL team, against Port Melbourne at ETU Stadium, furthered the family’s links with the club, as the grandson of Peter and great grandson of Keith.

Pre-match, Oliver, the former Shepparton defender, was pictured proudly displaying his Carlton guernsey. Sharing the moment was his father Brett, mother Ange and sister Daisy.

Brett also had his time in the Carlton Reserves, playing nine games in 1996 as a supplementary list player.

Oliver was also seen singing the song in the aftermath of the reserve team’s meritorious 11-point victory over the Borough.

His grandfather Keith topped Carlton’s goalkicking tally with 48 in 1951, and thrilled fans with his breathtaking leaps.

At two pound a game, ‘Warby’ was undoubtedly underpaid - for few at Carlton, with the probably exception of the late Peter Bosustow, crammed so much so soon into his career highlights reel.

“Carlton people remembered me as a mad acrobat and I’ll tell you why,” said Warburton, in an interview with this reporter back in 2016, just two year before his passing.

“As a kid I once got into a circus to have a look. I got under the tent and watched the acrobats perform all these tricks. From then on everything I did was acrobatic and that’s why they called me ‘The Acrobat’.”