Stephen Silvagni not expected to attend Carlton’s celebration of 1995 premiership against Geelong

Stephen Silvagni remains one of Carlton’s greatest players, but has not returned to the club in any form since being sacked by the Blues in 2019. Could that finally change this weekend?

Carlton expects to assemble every player in its 1995 premiership team apart from sacked list boss Steve Silvagni at its 30-year anniversary against Geelong on Sunday.

As the Blues get back on track after a disastrous start to the season the club will commemorate one of the most dominant campaigns in recent memory after David Parkin’s side lost just two games on route to the 1995 flag.

The entire list from that season, coach David Parkin and the staff have been invited to a function at the MCG on Sunday, with the team to also gather at a more intimate function on Saturday night.

Silvagni fell out with the club after he was sacked by CEO Cain Liddle in December 2019, with the club citing the conflict of interest given sons Jack and Ben were both playing for the Blues.

Silvagni has not returned to Carlton since joining the Saints. Picture: Michael Klein

He remains the St Kilda list boss and has not returned to the club in any capacity since, even dodging a 100-game presentation for son Jack in Round 1, 2023.

He often attends games in a private box and with Jack playing excellent football after returning from an ACL tear last year could be at the game less than 100 metres away but not prepared to be part of a Blues function.

Carlton is hopeful that every player in the side apart from Silvagni will attend, and is thrilled that the likes of Earl Spalding and Matt Clape will fly in from interstate.

Rover Brent Heaver, who was an emergency for the premiership, will also attend from Canberra.

The players are likely to be presented on the ground ahead of the game, although they will be off the ground well in advance of any Anzac Day commemoration.

What might have been a sombre affair given the club’s on-field fortunes will be brightened by recent victories over West Coast and North Melbourne to get the season back on track.

In that 1995 season, Carlton lost only two games for the season and dominated Geelong by 61 points, securing payback after their shock loss to the Cats in the 1994 finals series.

Coach Parkin admitted to the Herald Sun last year that he feared he would be sacked after the 1994 campaign.

“They were thinking about giving me away!” he said.

“As it happened, I would have lost my job, but the three blokes they offered it to didn’t take it up. Dermott Brereton was one of them. So I was very, very fortunate to still be ‘so-called’ in charge.”

Carlton’s 1995 premiership squad will be in attendance this Sunday. Picture: Tony Feder/Getty Images

Parkin famously learned the lessons of 1994 and gave the team over to people power, delegating to his champions in 1995 to allow them to control the bounce-back season.

“I would have driven them mad. I was the most autocratic, dictatorial prick to walk the face of the earth, so they were sick of me,” he said.

“We didn’t have a psychologist, so we went off and got Anthony Stewart, who had worked with the Australian cricket and netball teams.

“He came in and we gave ownership to the players. That had never been done in Australian sport before.

“The players decided who would play, how we would play, they debriefed their performance and did all of those sorts of things that I previously did.”