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Immeasurable fallout: The personal nature of Collingwood’s Silvagni pursuit
Andrew Slevison • July 30th, 2025 10:39 am
It has become personal.
That is what Caroline Wilson is reporting in relation to Collingwood’s pursuit of Carlton’s Jack Silvagni.
While many believe a potential shift to the old enemy would be “unthinkable”, it has emerged as a real possibility.
Channel 7’s Wilson says there is a fresh twist in the Silvagni saga which involves former Pies premiership teammates - new Blues CEO Graham Wright and Magpie chief Craig Kelly.
“It’s become personal for the Carlton board and for the Carlton membership,” Wilson said on The Agenda Setters.
“It was six or eight weeks ago that Carlton offered Jack Silvagni a four-year deal. For the first time, really, he’s a serious free agent and a serious player on the free agency market.
“Yesterday (Tuesday) the realisation from Graham Wright that this was becoming a major issue, and that Jack mightn’t realise just how much he is wanted at Carlton, prompted Wright to get in touch with Silvagni. They had a long conversation.
“I think Graham Wright is genuinely concerned for Jack. He would know that this would be something absolutely tearing him in two.”
It has been reported in The Age that the Magpies have matched the offer of four years at around $600,000 by the Blues.
Now it’s down to the sell which will come amid immeasurable fallout between Wright and Kelly, and also between Wright and Magpies list boss Justin Leppitsch.
“Collingwood, it has been reported, have pretty much matched the Carlton offer. For some people this would just be unthinkable,” Wilson added.
“The fallout between Graham Wright and his former housemate and premiership teammate Craig Kelly is immeasurable. They haven’t spoken since Graham Wright left Collingwood.
“Graham Wright also fell out with the Collingwood list manager Justin Leppitsch. These two guys are making a big play with the manager, Tom Petroro, who is great mates with all three of these big, high-flying executives and manages Leppitsch.
“I think Jack Silvagni is genuinely torn now. I think if he felt maybe a few weeks ago that Carlton weren’t really pulling out all stops to keep him, I think that Graham Wright has now left him in no uncertain terms how much Carlton rate him and want him.”
Agenda Setters panelist Dale Thomas, who moved the other way from Collingwood to Carlton in 2013, is good mates with Silvagni.
He wondered if the 27-year-old would want to stay loyal to the Blues after carrying the father-son burden while being thrown around all over the park.
“If I’m Jack Silvagni I’m sitting there going, ‘Why do I stay? What do I actually owe this club? I’ve carried the burden of the father-son’. That wasn’t put upon him for any other reason that his dad was an absolute superstar,” said Thomas.
“But that has been something he’s carried. He’s been last in, first out so many times. He’s been played forward, then been put in the ruck, used as a tagger and then settled down back.
“The fans are in such uproar because they know when they come to the footy and see Jack Silvagni run out that he’s bringing maximum effort, he plays with the heart and soul you want in a footballer, and now he’s got a skillset as one of the premium defenders in the comp.”
Silvagni, who has played 128 games in navy blue, becomes an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
