Stephen Silvagni

Stephen Silvagni
Silvagni in September 2009
Personal information
Nickname(s)	SOS
Date of birth	(1967-05-31) 31 May 1967 (age 49)
Place of birth	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Original team(s)	Marcellin College
Height / weight	194 cm / 95 kg
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1985–2001	Carlton	312 (202)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2001.
Career highlights
Carlton Best and Fairest: 1990, 1996 Carlton Life Member: 1992 Carlton Vice-Captain: 1998–2001 Carlton Hall of Fame: inducted 1996 Carlton Premiership Teams 1987,1995 Carlton Hall of Fame Legend: inducted 1997 All-Australian: 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999 Australian Football Hall of Fame: inducted 2005 AFL Team of the Century (fullback) Mark of the Year: 1988 AFL Life Member: 1999 International Rules 1998, 1999 Carlton Team of the Century (fullback) Jim Stynes Medal 1998 VFL/AFL Italian Team of the Century (fullback)
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Stephen Silvagni (born 31 May 1967) is a former Australian rules footballer who represented Carlton in the Australian Football League (AFL).

As the second member of three generations of Silvagni's represent the Blues, he is regarded as one of the greatest ever full-backs to play the game and was named as full-back in the AFL Team of the Century and is an inductee in the Australian Football Hall of Fame. Prior to 1985 he captained the undefeated Marcellin College 1st XVIII that won both the 1984 Associated Grammar Schools premiership, and the coveted Herald Shield Cup then played under lights at Waverley Park.

He is widely known by his nickname, "SOS" (pronounced "Soss"), standing for "Son of Serge", referring to his father, Sergio Silvagni, another great Carlton player.

After retiring from football, Silvagni has worked as an assistant coach and list manager at several AFL clubs.

Silvagni's defensive skills were renowned and earned him the status as a true clubman at Carlton. In 1996's AFL Team of the Century, Silvagni had the honour of being named at full-back. A title he was bestowed with after it was discovered that players not already in the AFL Hall of Fame were ineligible for selection at the time meaning that players of the quality of David Dench from North Melbourne and Geoff Southby from Carlton two of the games finest Fullbacks were excluded from the selection process even though they later gained entry into the AFL Hall of Fame. He retained the title as the best full-back for four years in succession, although he was also known for his marking and goalkicking ability when playing at the opposite end of the ground in the full-forward position at times, even kicking a bag of 10 goals in Round 16, 1993 against the Fitzroy Lions.