Alex Silvagni

Silvagni did not play in the TAC Cup as a junior, but instead played for his school, Haileybury College winning a premiership in his final year in 2005.{{cite news|url=http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/story/58945 |title=Silvagni rediscovers his passion |last=McGowan |first=Marc |date=2 May 2008 |work=Berwick News |access-date=26 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080806073002/http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/story/58945 |archive-date=6 August 2008 }} He joined the Casey Scorpions in the Victorian Football League in 2006, winning selection in the VFL's under-23 team. He had two successful seasons in 2008 and 2009, playing mainly at full back, but also pinch-hitting in the ruck or forwardline, finishing 5th in 2008 (2nd best non-AFL aligned player) and then third in 2009 in Casey's best and fairest award, being awarded the most consistent award in 2008McGowan, Marc (9 October 2008) [http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/story/64992 Wall claims Scorpions' top award] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120913020106/http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/story/64992 |date=13 September 2012 }} and winning selection in the 2009 VFL Team of the year.{{cite news|url=http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/story/80875/ |title=Solid Wall is top Scorpion |last=Pickering |first=Paul |date=8 October 2009 |work=Berwick News |access-date=26 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091011175732/http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/story/80875 |archive-date=11 October 2009 }}

Silvagni attended the Victorian state screening session prior to the 2006 AFL Draft, but was not selected by any teams. In 2009, Silvagni moved to Western Australia to train with the Fremantle Football Club, who selected him with their second selection in the 2010 Rookie Draft, the 24th overall. He was one of eight players from the VFL selected in the rookie draft, including Michael Barlow, who was also drafted to Fremantle from the Werribee Football Club.{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/docker-signings-could-help-set-a-trend-20091226-lfs1.html|title=Docker signings could help set a trend|last=Diamond|first=Brent|date=27 December 2009|work=Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=26 March 2010}}

After playing well in Fremantle's three NAB Cup pre-season games,{{cite news|url=http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/Michael-Barlow-leads-fremantles-rookie-charge/story-e6frg1wu-1225833140332|title=Michael Barlow leads Fremantle's rookie charge|first=Alex|last=Washbourne|work=PerthNow|date=22 February 2010|access-date=26 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100224070433/http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/michael-barlow-leads-fremantles-rookie-charge/story-e6frg1wu-1225833140332|archive-date=24 February 2010|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} Silvagni was promoted to Fremantle's senior list and was selected to make his AFL debut in the opening round of the 2010 AFL season.{{cite news|url=http://www.watoday.com.au/afl/afl-news/silvagni-name-back-in-the-afl-20100325-qzfz.html?autostart=1|title=Silvagni name back in the AFL|date=25 March 2010|work=WA Today|first=Tim|last=Clarke|access-date=26 March 2010}}

Silvagni made his debut for Fremantle in the round one of the 2010 AFL season and performed well, taking 7 marks and gathering 14 possessions, including an impressive 55-metre goal as Fremantle recorded a 56-point victory over the Adelaide Football Club.[https://web.archive.org/web/20121111022652/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/28/2858364.htm?site=sport§ion=all Young Dockers get it done] The celebrations, however, were tempered when Silvagni's former captain at the Casey Scorpions, Kyle Matthews, was knocked unconscious when he was involved in a fight after watching the game at a hotel in Hawthorn.[http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/silvagni-debut-almost-ends-in-tragedy-20100329-r86t.html Silvagni debut almost ends in tragedy]

His drafting as a "mature-aged rookie" and subsequent composed performances in his first few games are seen as an indication of a change to the recruiting philosophy to not only draft the best 18-year-old players, but also to consider older players.Breen, Daniel (2 April 2010) [http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2010/04/02/160731_gfc.html AFL's mature age recruits are hot property]; Geelong Advertiser{{cite news|last=Walsh |first=Courtney |date=30 March 2010 |access-date=19 October 2011 |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/rise-of-the-second-generation/story-e6frg7mf-1225847177496 |title=Rise of the second generation |work=The Australian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927010305/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/rise-of-the-second-generation/story-e6frg7mf-1225847177496 |archive-date=27 September 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}

At the conclusion of the 2016 season, Silvagni was delisted by Fremantle.{{cite news|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-10-26/dockers-cut-key-defender-silvagni-after-seven-seasons|title=Another Docker down as Freo cuts veteran defender|last=Malcolm|first=Alex|date=26 October 2016|work=AFL.com.au|publisher=BigPond|access-date=29 October 2016}}

Silvagni was then drafted by Carlton in the 2017 rookie draft.{{cite news|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-11-28/rookie-draft-giants-reunite-exdockers-mzungu-and-de-boer|title=Giants reunite ex-Dockers Mzungu and de Boer|last=Browne|first=Ashley|date=28 November 2016|work=AFL.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=28 November 2016}} He had a widely-remembered best on ground performance on his Carlton debut in Round 6, 2017 against the Sydney Swans, where he lined up as the direct opponent to eventual Coleman medallist Lance Franklin, and kept him to one goal, and bested Franklin one-on-one in several spectacular open-field chases and contests.{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/blues-stun-swans-with-upset-afl-win|title=Blues stun Swans with upset AFL win|date=29 April 2017|accessdate=20 February 2021|publisher=SBS}} He played a string of six games, before injury forced him out for the rest of the 2017 season. Despite having played only seven games for the club and still being on the rookie list, Silvagni was elevated to the club's leadership group in 2018;{{cite web|url=http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2018-01-31/murphy-steers-newlook-leadership-group|title=Murphy steers new-look leadership group|date=31 January 2018|access-date=31 January 2018|publisher=Carlton Football Club}} but persistent injuries prevented him from playing at all during the season. He retired at the end of the season, ending his brief but eventful career with the Blues.{{cite news|newspaper=The West Australian|date=21 August 2018|accessdate=20 February 2021|title=Former Fremantle Docker Alex Silvagni calls time on AFL career|url=https://thewest.com.au/sport/carlton-blues/former-fremantle-docker-alex-silvagni-calls-time-on-afl-career-ng-b88935226z}}

In 2023, Silvagni was a contestant on the Australian reality television series The Summit.

Silvagni is the second cousin of Carlton legend and AFL full-back of the century, Stephen Silvagni. Alex's father Eric and Stephen's father Sergio are first cousins.[http://www.afana.com/drupal5/news/2006/07/16/x_men_want_afl_pledge-139 Carlton news] His mother is Anglo-Indian.[http://www.footyalmanac.com.au/asia-pacific-team-of-the-century/ The Footy Almanac - Asia-Pacific Team of the Century]{{cite web|url=http://www.fremantlefc.com.au/news/2014-07-18/a-multicultural-freo|title=A multicultural Freo|first=Costa|last=Kastanis|date=18 July 2014|access-date=14 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808100015/http://www.fremantlefc.com.au/news/2014-07-18/a-multicultural-freo|archive-date=8 August 2014|url-status=dead}}

: Statistics are correct to the end of the 2016 season[http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/A/Alex_Silvagni.html Alex Silvagni's player profile at AFL Tables]

{{AFL player statistics legend}}

{{AFL player statistics start}}

|-

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2010

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 36 || 15 || 4 || 0 || 120 || 46 || 166 || 66 || 52 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 8.0 || 3.1 || 11.1 || 4.4 || 3.5

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2011

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 36 || 9 || 1 || 0 || 74 || 45 || 119 || 46 || 26 || 0.1 || 0.0 || 8.2 || 5.0 || 13.2 || 5.1 || 2.9

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2012

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 36 || 5 || 0 || 0 || 37 || 16 || 53 || 24 || 15 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 7.4 || 3.2 || 10.6 || 4.8 || 3.0

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2013

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 36 || 10 || 5 || 3 || 56 || 32 || 88 || 43 || 26 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 5.6 || 3.2 || 8.8 || 4.3 || 2.6

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2014

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 36 || 7 || 0 || 0 || 51 || 19 || 70 || 29 || 19 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 7.3 || 2.7 || 10.0 || 4.1 || 2.7

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2015

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 36 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 14 || 8 || 22 || 11 || 3 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 7.0 || 4.0 || 11.0 || 5.5 || 1.5

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2016

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 36 || 5 || 0 || 0 || 44 || 27 || 71 || 29 || 6 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 8.8 || 5.4 || 14.2 || 5.8 || 1.2

|- class="sortbottom"

! colspan=3| Career

! 53

! 10

! 3

! 396

! 193

! 589

! 248

! 147

! 0.2

! 0.1

! 7.5

! 3.6

! 11.1

! 4.7

! 2.8

|}

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{AFL Tables}}
• {{AustralianFootball}}
• {{WAFL FootyFacts}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20130424184910/http://www.wafl.com.au/players/view/2151 Alex Silvagni's profile] on the official website of the WAFL

{{Peel Thunder 2016 WAFL premiers}}

{{2010 AFL rookie draft}}

{{2010 AFL national draft}}

{{2017 AFL rookie draft}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Silvagni, Alex}}

Category:1987 births

Category:Living people

Category:Fremantle Football Club players

Category:Peel Thunder Football Club players

Category:Claremont Football Club players

Category:Casey Demons players

Category:People educated at Haileybury (Melbourne)

Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)

Category:Australian people of Anglo-Indian descent

Category:Australian sportspeople of Indian descent

Category:Australian people of Italian descent

Category:Sportspeople of Italian descent

Category:Carlton Football Club players

Category:Northern Bullants players

Category:Participants in Australian reality television series

Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen