SILVAGNI FACING BIG DECISIONS WITH SAINTS

FOR the second time in Stephen Silvagni’s list management career, Tom De Koning will loom large.

First when Silvagni landed the gun tall for Carlton at pick 30 in the 2017 national draft in one of the best value pickups of that year’s crop.

And now once again as Silvagni attempts to repair the Saints’ middling list after taking over as list boss last week.

Silvagni was the man who drafted Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow at Carlton, held the No. 1 pick to welcome superstar Sam

Walsh, but got unceremoniously booted from Carlton in 2019 because his two sons were still on the club’s books.

Silvagni was hurt and blindsided by the “messy” exit which included a fallout with former CEO Cain Liddle over, in part, the move for Eddie Betts.

“SOS” is a Carlton legend after a brilliant 312-game career in navy blue, but felt the club used his sons as scapegoats to turf him. It was a deeply personal departure.

Now back at Moorabbin, Silvagni’s list management moves won’t be driven by a revenge plot.

But it is clear he has an enormous repair job on his hands to inject more top-line quality at St Kilda after one finals appearance in 11 years.

It seems no coincidence that St Kilda listed ex-Blue Liam Stocker (another one of Silvagni’s picks) under the supplemental selection rules a fortnight ago.

They got him virtually for nothing, and Stocker is hungry to make it after he was surprisingly cut last year by Carlton.

But as the Saints’ footy department review showed, years of topping up on highpriced recruits (Daniel Hannebery, Brad Hill, Zak Jones, Jack Higgins and Brad Crouch among others) has left the St Kilda list build neither here nor there.

But Silvagni won’t baulk at making necessary cuts to St Kilda’s list to trim the fat, realign the salary cap, and go hard at players who can steer the Saints back up the ladder. Clearly, tough calls loom.

Analyst Kane Cornes has already suggested the 203cm De Koning could be worth up to $1 million a year as the hottest out-of-contract player on the market.

But can the Blues keep him with Cripps, Curnow, Walsh and Weitering all on blockbuster deals.