With reports that Stephen Silvagni is set to depart Carlton following the 2019 National Draft, it’s worth looking back at his five years at the helm and reviewing what he did with the Blues’ trades and draft picks.
Silvagni was the mastermind behind one of the most complete rebuilds a team has undertaken this decade, having access to 10 first round picks – including pick nine in the upcoming draft.
One thing that stands out going through every move SOS made is his ability to win trades featuring Carlton players wishing to depart the club.
Lachie Henderson, Bryce Gibbs, Chris Yarran, Tom Bell and Troy Menzel all left under his tenure with the Blues winning the deal every single time.
However, Silvagni’s legacy may be tarnished by the club’s inability to land the big fish. Stephen Coniglio, Dylan Shiel, Devon Smith, Tom Papley were all missed and did not end up in navy blue for one reason or another.
The Blues are yet to make any inroads in their attempts to climb the ladder and will be hoping that improvement comes in 2020, but even without the on-field success, it’s hard to find too many big mistakes in Silvagni’s tenure.
Of course, a lot of his draftees are still too young to judge, but he appears to have drafted well with the bounty of first round picks given to him and while he hasn’t exactly nailed later picks, there haven’t been too many busts either.
Here’s every single move made by Stephen Silvagni and whether they were great, good, ugly or mediocre.
The Great
TRADES
- Lachie Henderson to Geelong for a 2016 first-round pick (on-traded for Harry McKay)
- Bryce Gibbs, pick 77 and 2018 second and third round picks to Adelaide for picks 10 (Lochie O’Brien), 16 (on-traded), 73 and a 2018 second round pick (on-traded)
- 2019 first round pick to Adelaide for Pick 19 (Liam Stocker) and a future first round pick
DRAFT
- Charlie Curnow (pick 12, 2015)
- Harry McKay (pick 10, 2015)
- Zac Fisher (pick 27, 2016)
- Sam Walsh (pick 1, 2018)
The Good
TRADES
- Tom Bell and pick 41 to Brisbane for picks 21 (on-traded) and 60
- Troy Menzel to Adelaide for Sam Kerridge and pick 28 (on-traded)
- Geelong’s 2016 first-round pick, picks 28, 77 and 95 to GWS for pick 8 (Harry McKay), Lachie Plowman, Andrew Phillips, Jed Lamb and Liam Sumner
- Picks 20 and 21 to the Bulldogs for pick 11 (Charlie Curnow) and a 2016 third round pick (Cam Polson)
- Chris Yarran to Richmond for Pick 19 (David Cuningham)
- Picks 45, 58 and Geelong’s 2017 first round pick to GWS for Caleb Marchbank, Jarrod Pickett and a 2017 second round pick (on-traded)
- Picks 16 and 40 to the Bulldogs for pick 28 (on-traded), pick 30 (Tom de Koning) and a 2018 second round pick (on-traded)
- Pick 43 and a 2019 second round pick to GWS for Will Setterfield and pick 71
- A 2019 fourth round pick to Sydney for Nic Newman
DRAFT
- Jacob Weitering (pick 1, 2015)
- Jack Silvagni (pick 53, 2015)
- Sam Petrevski-Seton (pick 5, 2016)
PRE-SEASON SELECTION: Michael Gibbons
DELISTED FREE AGENCY
- Matthew Wright
The Ugly
TRADES
- Pick 135 to GWS for Rhys Palmer
- GWS’ 2017 future second round pick to Hawthorn for Picks 48, pick 66 and pick 70
OTHER
FREE AGENCY: Alex Fasolo
MID-SEASON DRAFT: Josh Deluca (2019)
The Mediocre
TRADES
- Zach Tuohy and a 2017 second round pick to Geelong for Billie Smedts, pick 63 and a 2017 first-round pick.
- Pick 95 to Port Adelaide for Matthew Lobbe
- Pick 28 to GWS for Matthew Kennedy
- Pick 58 and a 2018 fourth round pick to Geelong for Darcy Lang and a 2018 fourth round pick
- Pick 64 to Adelaide for pick 67 and a 2019 fifth round pick
- Pick 67 to St Kilda for Pick 75 and a 2019 fourth round pick
DRAFT
- Harrison Macreadie (pick 47, 2016)
- Cam Polson (pick 59, 2016)
- Patrick Kerr (pick 65, 2016)
- Angus Schumacher (pick 70, 2017)
- Jarrod Garlett (pick 78, 2017)
The Unknown
TRADES
- Picks 26, 28, 2019 fifth round pick and Shane McAdam to Adelaide for Mitch McGovern and a 2019 third round pick
DRAFT
- David Cuningham (pick 23, 2015)
- Tom Williamson (Pick 61, 2016)
- Paddy Dow (pick 3, 2017)
- Lochie O’Brien (pick 10, 2017)
- Tom de Koning (pick 30, 2017)
- Liam Stocker (Pick 19, 2018)
- Finbar O’Dwyer (pick 66, 2018)
- Ben Silvagni (pick 70, 2018)
PRE-SEASON SELECTION: Matt Cottrell (2019)
ROOKIE DRAFT HITS
2015: None
2016: None
2017: None
2018: None
With so many in the ‘unknown’ selection, Silvagni’s full body of work can’t be properly judged for a few more years.