WHEN Jack Silvagni chests the banner for game number 128 at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night, he furthers his family’s already profound League football legacy.
For the game brings to 679 the collective number of senior appearances amassed by three generations of the Silvagnis, after his grandfather Sergio (239) and father Stephen (312) – surpassing the 678 set by former Carlton captain Marc Murphy, his father John at Fitzroy and South Melbourne and North Melbourne, and grandfather Leo at Hawthorn.
Game 679 will also take the Silvagnis to second placing on the grandfather/father/son games record table – just 16 shy of the 695 accumulated by the three generations of Kennedys – John Snr. and John Jnr. at Hawthorn, and Josh at Hawthorn and Sydney – with the Silvagnis unique in having tallied each and every game for the one club.
Murphy, Carlton’s 300-game dual Best and Fairest across 16 seasons to the end of 2021, was not aware of Silvagni's impending family milestone when contacted this week – but couldn’t be more complimentary of his former teammate.
“I’m really happy that Jack joins Stephen and Serge in passing our games tally,” Murphy said.
“The Silvagni name is synonymous with Carlton. I get on really well with the whole family, and I enjoy watching Jack on the journey.
“I always enjoyed playing with Jack. He always had talent and with it football vision and general footy smarts, and to see him come back from a knee (injury) and play the way he’s been playing is a real credit to him. He’s cemented an important role down back, he plays with composure, and it’s always good to see him with the ball in his hands because he uses it so well.”
Murphy said that retirement allowed him to reflect with pride upon the Murphy legacy to the game across three generations, and as he dryly suggested of his own son: “There’s pressure on Maxy to be the fourth”.
“Maxy’s seven and enjoying his footy with the Under 9s at Fitzroy juniors,” Murphy added. “He wanted his grandfather’s No.5 but they gave him my old No.3, and it’s good to see him going around in the old Fitzroy colours.”
Most VFL/AFL games by grandfather/father/son trio up to and including Round 15, 2025
695 – Kennedy - John snr, John jnr, Josh
678* – SILVAGNI - Sergio, Stephen, Jack
678 – Murphy - Leo, John, Marc
Sergio Silvagni
28 June 1938 – 15 July 2021
Carlton player No.718
Guernsey No. 20 (1958) and 1 (1959-’71)
239 games, 136 goals 1958–1971
Premiership player 1968, 1970
John Nicholls Trophy (formerly Robert Reynolds Trophy) winner 1962, 1968
Captain 1964
Leading Club goalkicker 1959
Carlton Hall of Fame Inductee 1989, elevated to Legend 2016
Carlton Team of the Century ruck-rover
Italian Team of the Century Member
Victorian Representative 1962, 1963
Stephen Silvagni
31 May 1967 -
Carlton player No. 927
Guernsey No.1 (1985-2001)
312 games, 202 goals 1985-2001
Premiership player 1987, 1995
John Nicholls Trophy (formerly Robert Reynolds Trophy) winner 1990, 1996
Carlton Team of the Century full-back
Carlton Hall of Fame Inductee 1996, elevated to Legend 1997
Australian Football Hall of Fame Inductee 2005
Victorian representative 1988, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999
All Australian 1988, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999
VFL/AFL Team of the Century full-back
Jack Silvagni
17 December 1997 –
Carlton player No.1176
Guernsey Nos.2 (2016) and 1 (2017-)
127 games, 89 goals 2016-
