Australian Football

Tough as proverbial old boots, with a single-minded, obdurate determination to match, Sergio Silvagni was an almost permanent fixture in Carlton sides for well over a decade. All told, between 1958 and 1971, he played a total of 239 VFL games, and booted 136 goals, winning club best and fairest awards in 1962 and 1968, and captaining the Blues in 1964.

Arguably one of the most unkempt looking footballers ever to play the game, Silvagni was nevertheless extraordinarily effective, and his vigorously wholehearted style made him one of the most readily identifiable, and popular, players of his era. He also boasted rather more skill than he was sometimes given credit for, and his exceptional judgement, both of the bouncing ball and of the ball in the air, ensured that he was more often than not in the right place at the right time. Once there, his adamantine grip combined with lightning fast reflexes almost invariably ensured that, within seconds, the ball was nestling safely in the arms of a teammate, courtesy of a typically crisp, decisive Silvagni pass.

Serg Silvagni represented the VFL in 1962-3, and was a member of Carlton's 1968 and 1970 premiership teams. After his retirement as a player, he served as a Blues selector for many years. His son Steve also played with distinction for the Blues.

Author - John Devaney