From a Lygon era: Why I can't cop a Silvagni at Collingwood
Carlton lost the great Alex Jesaulenko to St Kilda as a consequence of a political storm after the 1979 premiership, the season after another celebrated Blue and future coach, Robert Walls, crossed to Fitzroy.
Four-time Carlton premiership hero David 'Swan' McKay was a teammate of Jezza and Walls in those glorious and tumultuous times. In his view, the defection of a third generation Silvagni to Collingwood would be worse than the Blues losing his more decorated teammates.
'It was bad enough to see Wallsy end up at Fitzroy and Jezza at St Kilda,' said McKay, who played alongside Jack Silvagni's late grandfather, family patriarch Sergio Silvagni, in the fabled 1970 premiership.
'To have a Silvagni ending up at Collingwood would be even worse.'
Would it really be worse? Not so – Jezza leaving was as wrenching as Ron Barassi's exit from Melbourne. But I share McKay's perspective that it would be jarring – read, flat-out wrong – to see Jack Silvagni running around for the Pies.
The Silvagnis are not merely 'another' Carlton family. They are the clan most identified with Carlton, whose history on the field – and in supporting roles at the club – is deeper and longer than others. They also have been crucial in fostering the bonds between Lygon Street/the Italian community and the Blues.
Today, it's a safe assumption that more Carlton fans – certainly Millennials and Gen Z – would fret about the prospect of seeing Charlie Curnow in another club's jumper than watching the son of SOS in the despised black-and-white stripes.
Curnow is arguably Carlton's premier player, a rare forward who gets people up and out of their seats when he's firing. To lose him would be terrible – unless, of course, the Blues could prise someone younger of similar value in return, e.g. Max Holmes, Errol Gulden or Hugh McCluggage, which is about as feasible as Joe Daniher coming out of retirement to play for Melbourne.
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