Jack Silvagni will leave Carlton as a free agent, but his next AFL club is yet to be determined.
Silvagni told the Blues he will leave the club this off-season, ending the Princes Park family legacy of his legendary dad Stephen and grandfather Serge that amounts to 679 V/AFL games played across 40 seasons.
But Silvagni has not decided whether he will sign with Collingwood or the Western Bulldogs, having completed medicals at both clubs.
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All three clubs are offering similar four-year deals but Silvagni’s main reason for leaving is seeking premiership success.
The Magpies finished the season fourth with the AFL’s oldest list while the Bulldogs are set to miss the finals with a younger group that desperately needs defensive help.
“Whilst the decision was not easy to leave the football club, I felt the time was right to explore another opportunity,” Silvagni said.
“I want to say a huge thank you to everyone at the Club for their support during my time there, I sincerely appreciate the opportunity this Club has given me and my family.”
Silvagni has played 128 games since debuting for the Blues in 2016, used all over the ground but primarily in defence most recently.
His teammate Tom De Koning will sign with St Kilda in free agency and land the Blues a lucrative compensation pick, likely to be Pick 9.
Silvagni, 27, would likely but not definitely warrant a lower level of compensation. At worst the Blues would get an end-of-first-round or second-round pick for his exit.
He was taken with Pick 53 in the 2015 Draft.
“We made it really clear to Jack that we wanted him to remain a Carlton person, however as an unrestricted free agent Jack had a right to meet with a number of clubs and as a result has made his decision to pursue other opportunities, that is the reality of our industry in regard to player movement,” Blues list management boss Nick Austin said.
“As we head into the upcoming Trade, Free Agency, and Draft period this affords us a number of options as we approach this time of year, and we will continue to make decisions that put the interests of the Carlton Football Club first and foremost.”
Speaking on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle, reporter Jon Ralph spoke to the moment Carlton were aware of his impending departure and where he could land next.
“Carlton knew as recently as last week that this deal would never be signed. They offered him a four-year deal in Round 12, and we all know what happens when you wait 12 weeks and don’t even come back to the table to even renegotiate,” Ralph said on Tuesday night.
“It was a fair deal, four year, $650,000. He has offers that are very similar from both Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs. The Pies (are) the rampant early favourite.”
Herald Sun journalist Glenn McFarlane added: “This is Carlton royalty … (but) he’s felt unloved at the footy club.”
“They think they’ve done the right thing and given him enough, and he’s obviously looked at it and said: ‘I’ve got opportunities elsewhere.’ This has probably been brewing for quite some time.”
Nine’s Chief Football Reporter Tom Morris also reported on Tuesday night that St Kilda can’t be discounted as a potential third suitor for the utility.
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