He played the last six home and away games and loomed as a potential match-winner in the elimination final against the Sydney Swans at ANZ Stadium, kicking two vital goals as a marking target on the forward line.
In many ways, Warnock's 2011 season has mirrored that of the team.
Carrying a heavy responsibility as the No. 1 ruckman, he started the season in fine fashion before being knocked out during the frenetic finish to the round nine clash against Geelong. Warnock was awarded a free kick after copping a high tackle.
In hindsight, he should not have taken the kick as he was concussed, but at the time he felt he was OK. His kick, from about 20m out almost directly in front, missed, and the Blues lost by two points.
He remembers nothing of the incident and the drama at the end of the game. "It just took me a few weeks to get over it," Warnock said. "I couldn't remember a whole lot of stuff."
As a result of that incident, he spent a few days in hospital. He returned via the VFL and was elevated to the AFL team for the round 14 game against West Coast to replace the injured Shaun Hampson.
Since his return, his progress has been steady. He has won plenty of hit-outs and his work around the stoppages has been exemplary, although there are areas of his game he needs to improve, including taking more marks around the ground.
At 206cm, he not only gets his hand on the ball first on many occasions, but also his ability to follow up on the ground with clean hands makes him an important weapon in the midfield.
Warnock said his talent to find the ball at ground level has come naturally. "It's more natural to me than the previous generation of big blokes. It's nothing I've worked on specifically," he said.
Warnock's kicking has been regarded as a strength, although he admits he needs to work on his kicking for goal.
He has not kicked a goal since that missed opportunity in round nine and last week, against North Melbourne, he hit the post from a relatively easy set shot to bring his season's tally to 3.8 in 14 games, a big contrast to last year when he notched 8.2 in 12 games.
"It's definitely something I need to work on," he said. "I probably haven't done as much practice on it as I should've."
In Warnock's favour is he has played only 47 games and, traditionally, big blokes take longer to reach their peak. He believes there is plenty of scope for improvement in his game.
"I'd like to think that I've only scratched the surface," the 24-year-old ruckman said. "There hasn't been a whole lot of continuity there."
The introduction of the substitution rule this year has changed the role of the ruckman, with many forced to spend more time on the ground.
As the Blues have lacked height in attack recently in the absence of the injured Jarrad Waite, Warnock and Matthew Kreuzer have spent more time in attack to provide another tall target and complement talented smaller forwards Eddie Betts and Jeff Garlett.
The Blues welcomed back Kreuzer in round 12 against the Brisbane Lions, after a year on the sidelines following a knee reconstruction and Warnock is enjoying renewing his relationship with the young star.
"I play the majority of the game in the ruck and pinch-hit up forward when Kreuzer rucks and I think that works well," he said.
"'Kreuze' is getting better and better each week. With the amount of footy he has missed, it's always going to take a bit of time to come back and he has still got so much improvement ahead of him."
Hampson is scheduled to return soon and the competition will be hot for places in the team. As much as he would like to see three ruckmen in the team, Warnock is unsure if it would work.
"We've never really done it," he said. "Traditionally, three ruckmen in a team hasn't worked. Essendon tried it, to a degree of success - sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't."
Warnock arrived at Visy Park with plenty of fanfare, the Blues having given up three draft picks in a trade with Fremantle at the end of 2008 (Freo also gave Carlton pick No. 65 in the deal, which the Blues used to select Rhys O'Keeffe).
After 21 games in two seasons (2007-08) with Fremantle, he returned to Victoria to fulfil an ambition of becoming the No. 1 ruckman after playing in the vast shadow of the 211cm Aaron Sandilands at Fremantle.
But there was a setback in his first season at Carlton in 2009 when a stress fracture of the foot restricted him to a few games in the VFL.
In the past two seasons he has worked hard on his fitness and durability, aiming to better withstand the rigours of ruck play.
Warnock enjoys being part of one of the strongest midfields in the game. "That makes your job a lot easier," he said. "We've got a lot of good chemistry going there. I think we've got a great mix now.
"'Murph' (Marc Murphy) is in fantastic touch. Mitch Robinson is in some great form as well and 'Juddy' (Chris Judd) is looking at maybe a third Brownlow."
Warnock and his teammates are back at the MCG this week, where he believes Carlton plays its best football.
"We probably are suited to the MCG a bit more," he said.
"That's where finals are played, so it's not such a bad thing. But we've got to tighten up at Etihad as well."
The Blues are aware they have to keep winning and face a tough task this weekend against a fired-up Melbourne, with a new coach, Todd Viney, at the helm after the tumultuous events of the past week.
"Tradition says once the coach has been sacked, they come out and play some good footy," Warnock said. "We've just got to make sure that we stick to what we've been doing and working for us."
The pain of two failed finals campaigns remains apparent for the Blues. Warnock felt the disappointment last season and is determined to erase that memory as they approach another finals series.
The Blues have their sights on a top-four finish and the prospect of playing their first final in Victoria for 10 years. "To have a home final would be great for us and great for our supporters," he said.
Brett Ratten has been one of his greatest supporters and he wants to repay the coach's faith.
"It's great to play under him and the boys down here are loving him, and that's shown through in our performances," the ruckman said.
"Hopefully, we can have some success."
This article first appeared in the AFL Record
