AFL: Carlton’s Jack Silvagni to miss 2024 season after ACL injury

Carlton’s torrid run of pre-season training mishaps has continued into another year with a favourite son ruled out for the 2024 season.

Carlton forward-ruck Jack Silvagni will miss the 2024 AFL season after rupturing his ACL at training on Thursday. Picture: Dylan Burns / Getty Images

Players and officials at Carlton have vowed to “wrap their arms” around Jack Silvagni after the son-of-a-gun suffered an ACL injury which ended his season before it began.

Silvagni is expected to miss the entire 2024 campaign after he ruptured his ACL during pre-season training on Thursday.

He was sent for scans which confirmed the devastating injury, almost exactly a year after Blues defender Zac Williams suffered the same fate in a pre-season session and was wiped out for the 2023 season.

Carlton football boss Brad Lloyd said the club would rally behind Silvagni and backed him to bounce back from the disappointment.

“Jack had put in such a significant body of work over summer to put himself in a great position to attack the year, so we are all really feeling for Jack right now,” Lloyd said.

“We will be with him every step of the way through his rehab, and no doubt the entire Carlton faithful will be." 💙

We're wrapping our arms around Jack Silvagni, with scans confirming he has ruptured his ACL.

— Carlton FC (@CarltonFC) January 25, 2024

“While the emotion right now is one of disappointment, it is well known that Jack’s work ethic and commitment to the football club is unwavering, and it is his strong character that will be his biggest strength through his recovery process.

“We will be with him every step of the way through his rehab, and no doubt the entire Carlton faithful will be. With the energy he brings, he’ll continue to have a positive impact around the Club and within the playing group throughout this season.”

Silvagni played 16 games last year but was hampered in the second half of the season by back-to-back joint sprains in his knee.

He booted four goals in the Blues’ round 18 win over Port Adelaide before injury struck and had looked set to return to the forward line in 2024.