Former Carlton list manager and club legend Stephen Silvagni has hit out at the AFL club over the way they handled his December exit.
Carlton great and former list manager Stephen Silvagni has lashed out at the Blues, saying the AFL club was “amateur” and “lacked any respect” in the way they handled his departure.
Silvagni departed Carlton after five years as list boss in December 2019, the club issuing a statement saying the decision “centred around the increasing complexity of having two sons on the playing list” which had become a “conflict” for Silvagni and the staff working with him.
Speaking for the first time since his departure, Silvagni said that press release had thrown his sons – Carlton players Jack and Ben Silvagni – “under the bus” ahead of the current season.
“Looking back at the press release, it just put the boys under the bus,” Silvagni told SEN on Wednesday.
“I thought it was amateur, to be honest, and really lacked any respect in terms of how you handle people on the way out.
“That was probably the most hurtful thing. I think your two biggest assets at a football club are your supporters and your players.
“The way that press release was written up I think put two players under the bus and put more pressure on them than they should have to handle throughout a season.”
Ben was recently delisted without playing a game while Jack is contracted for 2021 and Silvagni said he hadn’t spoken to his eldest son about his immediate playing future.
Silvagni said he’d been speaking with president Mark LoGiudice throughout 2019 about moving on, but the situation became “messy” and was ultimately taken out of his hands.
He said he’d been hurt when LoGiudice told him chief executive Cain Liddle felt Silvagni would “sabotage” the Blues’ trade and draft period.
“When your president has a chat to you and he says ‘I’ve fought for you’ – that the CEO (Liddle) said to him that he felt as though I would sabotage the trade and draft period – that probably hurt me the most,” Silvagni said.
“When you’ve played for a club for 17 years and you put your body on the line and supported the club all your life, for a person to actually say that you’ll sabotage the trade and draft period.
“And really for me, an outsider that’s come into the club and really doesn’t know a lot about the club and really doesn’t know a lot about me – that was probably the most disappointing out of everything that happened.”
Silvagni also said the Blues’ football hierarchy had agreed Eddie Betts should return to the club “at a price” but Liddle had come over the top to offer the forward more money.
Blueboy1
Roar Rookie
My last thoughts on this "SOS bomb" are that i agree with what has been said before...yes there was a massive conflict of interest with SOS & his boys at the time...& yes its not great timing from SOS with all the feel good vibes coming from Princess Park (yes Ikon park or whatever but i prefer old school) this year & this off seaon. Yes club legends dont always make great administrators or coaches & yes they do fall out with their clubs...see Bartlett & Hird & list goes on...but i also agree with Sam Mclure when he says good clubs dont behave this way!! Maybe Mr. Corporate cheesy smile Liddle can learn some humility & respect for his adopted club that pays his generous wages. And maybe when he meets other club greats like Sticks & Braddles & Jezza he will be more humble than when he got into a pissing contest with another great SOS...i for one thank God SOS answered Blues call in 2015 when were a laughing stock of the AFL & on our knees...Cheers SOS we owe you a debt we cant repay for getting us back on the road to glory & for no.17 ????
2dogz
Roar Rookie
Your old “friend” seems to have gone Really quiet lately. Other tigers supporters have spoken up more though...
2dogz
Roar Rookie
Dr J ? I get that a lot :thumbup:
Gavan Iacono
Roar Rookie
Massive conflict of interest. Good call. Out.
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
You remind me of someone I used to know.
2dogz
Roar Rookie
:laughing: Ex employee? :laughing:
Kane
Roar Rookie
No doubt SOS is a club legend but that doesn't mean he's the best person for a job at the club, i reckon he's done a reasonable job as list manager, not a great job. He's definitely helped the club improve from where it was. Cain Liddle was brought in to get the club out of the s%it hole it has been for the last 20 odd years and there is no denying that he and Mark have got the club finally heading in the right direction financially, has record memberships and we are finally seeing some improvement on the ground. Part of Cain's job is to make the hard calls and he hasn't shied away from doing that, SOS was just one of those calls so for people to say Cain needs to go need to sit back and have a look at the bigger picture not just what a disgruntled ex employee has to say.
Jimmy Woods
Roar Rookie
Kind of undoes a little of the shine of Saad & others nominating Carlton as a destination club. Not sure of too many other clubs doing that, except bombers allegedly bagging Saad on the way out.
2dogz
Roar Rookie
Great post. 100% accurate :thumbup:
Blueboy1
Guest
As a Blues member Im so with SOS...Liddle is a hired gun & apparatchik who goes where the money takes him...SOS is a club legend who bleeds for his club & the players...Liddle not informing SOS of his decision to pay more for Betts is typical of ego driven crap that cripples clubs trying to build a list & make smart salary cap decisions...respect your club legends & staff & players or pay price like the Bombers are...SOS is a Blues warrior who has built a great young list & Liddle is some blow in outsider in an expensive suit...i know who i will credit for any future success my beloved Blueboys will experience...