Carlton coach Michael Voss didn't take kindly to some public comments by Collingwood counterpart and former teammate Craig McRae over off-contract Blues star Jack Silvagni.
In scenes somewhat reminiscent of the firestorm earlier this season following Hawks coach Sam Mitchell's meeting with Oscar Allen, McRae confirmed publicly last week that he met with Silvagni as the defender decides his future beyond this season.
Silvagni is the son of Stephen and grandson of Sergio, two greats of the Carlton footy club, and the 27-year-old has played 128 games over 10 seasons with the Blues.
Voss, who won three flags alongside McRae at the Brisbane Lions, was asked about the situation and called the Collingwood coach's comments "unusual".
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“I was surprised, but obviously I’d already spoken to Jack about what was happening,” Voss said. “It’s unusual for a coach to announce something like that.
“Regardless of what Craig did, it’s not something we would do, and we’ll respect the privacy of the player.
“We hope the decision at the end of the day is he’ll be with us.”
The Pies are understood to be dangling a four-year contract offer in front of Silvagni and it would be a stunning turn for a player with such links to the Navy Blues to jump ship to their biggest rivals.
The news has reportedly also rocked the boat at Collingwood, with a number of their big-name players, including Jamie Elliott, Brody Mihocek, Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom, unsigned for 2026.
Voss remains hopeful, however, Silvagni will remain in Carlton colours.
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“Jack’s had a really important role shift this year," he said. "It’s been a real win for us to see where he’s gone from forward to back.
"I want to be really clear, he’s a very important player for us.
"We value what he’s done, we value him at the football club and we’re certainly hoping he plays out the rest of his career with us.”
Silvagni is expected to miss the rest of the season with a groin problem for a Carlton side that is currently 13th on the ladder.
Next up, the Blues host the Suns at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.