Stephen Silvagni’s hits and misses as Carlton recruiting boss
After five years at Carlton Stephen Silvagni recruited more than 60 players, and leaves a list full of potential. But not every recruiting call has worked out for the Blues.
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Five years after ceremoniously riding his white horse back into the surrounds of the club he loves, Stephen Silvagni has said goodbye to those who matter and quietly departed.
But if his departure lacked the loud trumpeting of his return, then look to an acrimonious power struggle between himself and Liddle that reached untenable levels for the man known as “SOS” earlier this year.
Silvagni, 52, had chosen not to accept a new but undefined role with the club, will most likely take a complete break from a footballing industry that has dominated his adult life since he made his debut in 1985.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE ALL STEPHEN SILVAGNI’S CARLTON RECRUITS
To borrow a line from Don McLean, the day the music died for Silvagni was the moment he found out Carlton was courting Tom Papley and Brandon Ellis without his knowledge.
It went against the task he had been delivered, and that was to implement the biggest list overhaul in Carlton’s history.
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Five drafts later and Silvagni has delivered what most see as an exciting list, albeit one that is yet to achieve anything of note.
Under Liddle’s watch, which is two years old, the club has achieved record membership numbers in 2019 (64,249, a 15 per cent increase) and healthy sponsorship.
If Silvagni has overseen a total rebuild of a list that won four games and a wooden spoon in 2015, and one that only has eight players remaining in Levi Casboult, Patrick Cripps, Ed Curnow, Sam Docherty, Liam Jones, Matthew Kreuzer, Marc Murphy and Kade Simpson, then Liddle has been equally prudent in making changes at administrative level.
Liddle’s tenure has coincided with in-club terminology referred to as “New Carlton”, in stark contrast to “Old Carlton” which Silvagni would naturally have been associated with.
Silvagni was very much of the mindset that “new” and “old” Carlton were irrelevant when compared with everyone on staff working in the best interests of the club.
He was largely able to do that due to the patience of his supporter base who finally realised that success could only come via the draft, and he worked the draft system with dexterity, mastering the relatively new concept of live trading.
He will leave with satisfaction in the belief he fulfilled the original mantra delivered him by his board, and in doing so prepared a list for coach David Teague that holds considerable potential, making it all the more remarkable that his departure has involved acrimony.
Silvagni oversaw some unpopular calls, namely the trading of Bryce Gibbs, Lachie Henderson, Zach Tuohy and Chris Yarran.
Only Tuohy has gone on to play at a high levels elsewhere, although Silvagni has previously said that trade allowed him to secure Caleb Marchbank, a 22-year-old with upside as a key defender.
His drafting has largely been profitable, although next year is the season during which the promise of Charlie Curnow, Tom De Koning, Zac Fisher, Harrison Macreadie, Harry McKay, Sam Petrevski-Seton, Will Setterfield, Jack Silvagni, Liam Stocker and Tom Williamson is expected to start producing ladder-moving results.
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He’s had misses, namely through recycled players such as Jarrod Garlett, Daniel Gorringe, Sam Kerridge, Jed Lamb, Matthew Lobbe, Aaron Mullett, Cameron O’Shea, Rhys Palmer, Jarrod Pickett Billie Smedts and Liam Sumner who are no longer on the list, in a period where the likes of Lynden Dunn, Kane Lambert and Sam Menegola were available.
Silvagni’s departure won’t mean the famous surname ends its Carlton relationship that began with his father Sergio in 1958, given Jack and Ben Silvagni remain on the list.
Jack, still just 21, has played 60 senior games which is an extremely healthy return for a pick 53 (2015 draft) whereas Ben remains a 19-year-old 197cm key position work in progress, albeit one who was said to have received an inquiry from one rival club during the recent trade period.
CARLTON RECRUITING UNDER STEPHEN SILVAGNI
2015 DRAFT
1. Jacob Weitering
10. Harry McKay
12. Charlie Curnow
23. David Cunningham
53. Jack Silvagni
Rookie draft: Jesse Glass-McCasker, Andrew Gallucci, Matthew Korcheck
TRADE PERIOD
Free agents: Daniel Gorringe, Matthew Wright
IN: Sam Kerridge (Adelaide), Jed Lamb (GWS), Andrew Phillips (GWS), Lachie Plowman (GWS), Liam Sumner (GWS)
OUT: Chris Yarran (Richmond), Tom Bell (Brisbane), Lachie Henderson (Geelong), Troy Menzel (Adelaide)
2016 DRAFT
6. Sam Petrevski-Seton
27. Zac Fisher
47. Harrison Macreadie
59. Cameron Poulson
65. Pat Kerr
Rookie elevation: Ciarran Byrne
Rookie draft: Kym LeBois, Alex Silvagni, Andrew Gallucci, Ciaran Sheehan (category B)
TRADE PERIOD
IN: Billie Smedts (Geelong), Jarrod Pickett (GWS), Caleb Marchbank (GWS), Rhys Palmer (GWS)
OUT: Zach Tuohy (Geelong)
2017 DRAFT
3. Paddy Dow
10. Lochie O’Brien
30. Tom De Koning
70. Angus Schumacher
78. Jarrod Garlett
Pre-season draft: Cam O’Shea
Rookie draft: Matt Shaw, Cillian McDaid (category B)
TRADE PERIOD
Free agents: Aaron Mullett (North Melbourne)
IN: Matthew Lobbe (Port Adelaide), Matthew Kennedy (GWS), Darcy Lang (Geelong)
OUT: Bryce Gibbs (Adelaide)
2018 DRAFT
1. Sam Walsh
19. Liam Stocker
66. Finbar O’Dwyer
70. Ben Silvagni
Rookies: Hugh Goddard, Tom Bugg, Matthew Owies (category B)
Pre-season supplemental selection period: Michael Gibbons, Matthew Cottrell
Mid-season draft: Josh Deluca
TRADE PERIOD
Free agents: Alex Fasolo (Collingwood)
IN: Mitch McGovern (Adelaide), Will Setterfield (GWS), Nic Newman (Sydney)
OUT: Nathan Kreuger (Geelong), Shane McAdam (Adelaide),
2019 DRAFT
17. Brodie Kemp
20. Sam Philp
47. Sam Ramsay
Rookie draft: Josh Honey, Fraser Phillips
Pre-season draft: Jack Martin
TRADE PERIOD
Free agents: Jack Newnes (St Kilda)
IN: Eddie Betts (Carlton), Marc Pittonet (Hawthorn)
OUT: Andrew Phillips (Essendon)
Originally published as Stephen Silvagni’s hits and misses as Carlton recruiting boss