Jack Silvagni stood over the ball with his nose freshly broken, his head wrapped in a beige bandage and 47,000 people – mostly Port Adelaide fans – holding their breath.
Bloodied, battered and with 13 goalless months behind him, he didn’t flinch.
He went back, took his time and kicked the goal that would define St Kilda’s night.
Arms flailing, chest heaving, teammates swarming, it was the release of an emotional pre-season, compressed into a few seconds of pure emotion.
“It meant a lot,” Silvagni admitted in the Saints’ rooms afterwards, still riding the high. “As a backman, you don’t often get to go forward and kick goals. At that time of the game, we needed one … so it was nice to put it through and carry on a bit after.”
The moment itself came via a 50-metre penalty, but there was nothing cheap about the finish. With the game on the line and Port Adelaide surging, Silvagni steadied and delivered – his first goal in over a year, and his first in St Kilda colours.
“I haven’t been able to hit my foot all year,” he joked. “So it was nice.”
It was also symbolic.
Silvagni has spent much of his career shifting between roles, battling injuries and fighting for continuity, and since moving to Moorabbin has been carving out a place in Ross Lyon’s system as a disciplined, accountable defender, while still offering the versatility to swing forward when needed.
“I think I found my niche as a back last year for Carlton,” Silvagni said. “And I’m really enjoying it down there. But it’s nice to know I can go forward when needed.”
That versatility proved decisive.
Silvagni had largely done his job in the backline – “if my man’s not getting the kick, I’m doing my job” – but when the game demanded something extra, he found himself in the right place at the right time. And when the opportunity came, he didn’t hesitate.
It’s been a stuttering start to life at St Kilda. A limited pre-season following groin surgery, just four weeks of full training, and no practice matches left him playing catch-up from the outset. Even his first hit-out in Saints colours ended prematurely.
“I only had four weeks of full training,” he said. “Got knocked out in that first practice game … no scratch matches either. So I’ve been finding my feet a little bit.”
But internally, the belief hasn’t wavered. Nor has the intent to prove himself.
“Coming to a new club, you want to earn the respect of your teammates, your coaches … endear yourself to the fans,” he said. “I like to think you do that through hard work, through a gritty sort of way of playing.”
Silvagni was asked in a post-game interview on Channel Seven if he was relieved to have escaped the pressure-cooker environment at Carlton, where coach Michael Voss again this year finds his job under threat.
“I’m really enjoying the change,” he responded. “I still have a lot of great mates there who I speak to really frequently. I feel for what they’re going through at the moment. I’ve been through it a couple of times at the Blues where they’re sort of in this position, and it’s not a nice thing to deal with.
“I really feel for them. But I know that they’re a tight group and they’ll rally around each other, they’ll rally around Vossy. And I’m sure they’ll reap some reward at some stage.”
But his focus is now firmly on St Kilda, where his teammates have embraced him, the coaches have trusted him, and the Saints’ faithful – often starved of moments like this – have responded in kind.
“I feel incredibly loved and welcomed,” Silvagni said. “The fans have been awesome … every interaction I’ve had, I’m really thankful.”
There was also family in the rooms on Sunday night, as his father, Saints list boss Stephen, and mother, Jo, made the trip to South Australia.
“They’re here somewhere,” Silvagni said with a smile. “They came to watch.”
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Sam McClure is an award-winning AFL journalist and broadcaster.Connect via X or email.