It is broadly agreed within Carlton that Stephen Silvagni did a fine job in reconstructing the club's playing list over the course of his time as list manager.

Carlton was in appalling shape when he arrived for the 2015 season. Over the course of the next four post-seasons, the Blues were aggressive in trading out players, as Lachie Henderson, Chris Yarran and Bryce Gibbs were all packed off in return for valuable draft picks. Of the players Silvagni offloaded, only Zach Tuohy has performed well at his second club and might be a cause of mild regret.

But SOS’ signature achievement was really cultural. He presided over one of the most scorched-earth rebuilds of a playing list seen in the AFL, as Carlton – a club that had consistently taken short-cuts – embraced long-term thinking and an uncompromising commitment to the draft and youth for the first time.

Stephen Silvagni. Credit:Chris Hopkins

It was a harsh, painful and contentious process, which finally began to yield results in the latter stages of 2019, as a coaching change triggered a Teague Spring at Princes Park. If it wasn’t Greater Western Sydney-calibre, Silvagni’s list suddenly seemed promising; certainly, there was a platform to build a contender.