A pioneer of the game, Sergio ‘Serge' Silvagni has been elevated to official Legend status at Carlton Football Club’s Hall of Fame this evening.
Joining an esteemed group of Carlton Legends, including son Stephen, Silvagni was formally inducted at the Athenaeum Theatre.
Silvagni made his way into Carlton’s senior team in 1958, and later wore the Club’s famous No.1 guernsey which was also worn by son Stephen during his playing career.
By 1962, Silvagni established himself among the best ruck-rovers in the game and went on to be selected in the Victorian State side. That same year, Silvagni won Carlton’s best and fairest with a record number of votes.
Developing a powerful on-field relationship with the Blues’ emerging champion ruckman John Nicholls and later Adrian Gallagher, from 1964 to 1971 the trio were the most respected on-ball group in the game.
Sergio Silvagni played 239 games for the Blues between 1958 and 1971. (Photo: Carlton Media)
Silvagni was named captain in 1964 and four years later, Carlton beat Essendon by three-points in the 1968 grand final under coach Ron Barassi. Silvagni topped off his superb season with another best and fairest award.
By 1970, Silvagni had another premiership medal to his name. After 239 games and 136 goals, two premierships, two best and fairest awards, two Victorian appearances and one year as captain, Silvagni went on to serve the Blues as a committeeman, selector and caretaker coach for three matches in 1978. In 1989, Silvagni was inducted to the Carlton Hall of Fame and was named in Carlton’s Team of the 20th Century.
Continuing a proud family association with the Carlton Football Club, Silvagni’s grandson Jack was drafted to the Blues in the 2015 national draft as a father-son selection.
Earlier in the evening, Scott Camporeale, Mil Hanna, Ian Robertson and Jack Wrout (dec.) were also inducted as members of the Club’s Hall of Fame.
Taken with his club’s opening selection (15th overall) in the 1994 national draft, Scott Camporeale fitted hand-in-glove with the Princes Park powerhouse that was Carlton in 1995. That same year, he was a vital member of the premiership side and won Carlton’s best first-year player.
Camporeale also earned All-Australian selection in 2000 before being voted Carlton’s best and fairest in a tie with teammate Brett Ratten. His 233 games and 200 goals, which spanned 11 seasons at Carlton, capped an outstanding league career with the Old Dark Navy Blues for the man remembered endearingly as 'Campo'.
Born in Lebanon, but raised near the old Princes Park ground in East Brunswick, Milham Hanna was an early casualty of the brutal AFL competition when his knee gave way on senior debut for the Blues in the opening round of 1986.
Hanna went on to repay the faith, when he resumed his playing career the following year. Hanna featured in 19 senior games in 1993, including the grand final loss to Essendon. He would then feature in all senior games between 1994 and 1995 – and as a key member of the 1995 premiership. The curtain came down on Hanna’s much-loved 190-game career in 1997.
Born in 1946, Ian Robertson was invited by Carlton's captain-coach Ron Barassi to Princes Park to train. Impressed with the youngster’s commitment and capability, Robertson made his senior debut against Richmond at the MCG on Anzac Day in 1966, before going on to win Carlton’s best first-year player in the same year.
Renowned for his running capacity and penetrating kick, the Blues’ grand final triumphs of 1968, ’70 and ’72 would crown a 125-game Carlton career for Robertson.
John Everett (Jack) Wrout first embarked on a senior league career at North Melbourne in 1931, but after 53 games in six seasons, Wrout crossed to Carlton and would emerge as a star forward in the Blues’ 1938 grand final team – breaking the Club’s record 22-year premiership drought. Five years later, Wrout took the honours as the Club’s leading goalkicker.
Following the end of his playing career, Wrout would spend the remainder of his life serving his beloved navy blues as a committeeman, then later as a legendary chairman of selectors. In 1978, after more than 30 years of committed service to the Carlton Football Club, Wrout resigned due to ill-health and passed away in 1981.
