Silvagni, the secret of the century

Stephen Silvagni was a controversial pick as Team of the Century full-back. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: News Limited

ONLY a rare and small number of people know a little secret about the most contentious position in the AFL's Team of the Century.

One of them is Allen Aylett, the North Melbourne great and pioneering AFL administrator.

And the position?

Full-back.

Carlton's Stephen Silvagni was the surprise choice at full-back. Not so much the wrong choice, but when the team was announced on September 2, 1996, there was both celebration and discussion, perhaps more than other position.

Silvagni beat North Melbourne's David Dench, Carlton's Geoff Southby, Collingwood's Jack Regan to the position.

Stephen Silvagni was the best full-back in the 1990s. Picture: Michael Dodge Source: News Limited

In the end, he beat them easily because Dench and Southby were ineligible for selection.

Consider that. The pair considered the leading contenders for a position among the most prestigious and honoured players in the history of the game, could not be considered.

As for Regan, who carried the most eloquent of nicknames - the Prince of Full-backs - he was out of contention early because the two men on the selection panel who saw him play, Percy Beames and Bill Jacobs, didn't rate Regan as highly as the Magpies did.

The technicality - or loophole - came when the selectors were told a player not in the AFL Hall of Fame was not eligible for selection.

In 1996, only months before the Team of the Century was announced, 136 players were inducted into the Hall of Fame en-masse.

Dench and Southby were not among them.

They would be officially welcomed in 2000, but by then it was too late.

Aylett, who is now into his 80th year, well remembers the discussions.

David Dench with the premiership cup after the 1977 Grand Final replay. Source: News Corp Australia

''Jack Regan's name was brought up because he was considered at that stage, 1996, to be the doyen of full-backs, but he didn't get support from the older people,'' Aylett said.

''Regan was considered a dead-cert to be picked, but he didn't get support from Percy Beams and Bill Jacobs. We took notice of them because they saw him play.

''So, next it was, what about Southby, what about Dench?''

It was then the selectors learned neither of them could be considered because of the rule, a rule which Aylett agrees was stupid. ''It was looking back on it,'' he said.

It provided a ridiculous situation where two greats, Dench and Southby, couldn't be picked, but Silvagni, who was then a current player and thus ineligible for the Hall of Fame, could be.

There wasn't a rule saying any current player was ineligible.

It's mind-boggling that Dench and Southby were out, and Silvagni was in, because of a rule which didn't really mean anything.

Because there wasn't a rule about current players, it enabled selectors to include Geelong's Gary Ablett, whose career came to an end early in 1997.

Carlton's Geoff Southby was ineligible for the Team of the Century. Source: News Limited

The other players, Greg Williams and, of course, Silvagni.

''The rules countered one another,'' Aylett said.

''It doesn't take anything away from Silvagni, but it just means the other two guys were never considered.''

Aylett's opinion was that Silvagni would've missed out if the rule was not in place.

''It wouldn't have even got to consideration for Stephen. It's nothing against him, but we couldn't consider the other two because they weren't in the Hall of Fame.

''It was a loophole but an honest mistake.''

So, Dench or Southby?

''Either of those two, both were great players,'' Aylett said.

''As much as I appreciated Southby as a player, I would've gone for Dench because I saw every game he played. He was a brilliant player, a dasher, 20, 25 years ahead of his time.

''As for Silvagni, I don't think he played that many games at full-back then either, because he did start off at centre half-forward.

''I can remember all of us looking at one another, shaking our heads., because the rules hadn't been properly framed.

''In the end, it was a loophole.

''Not even looking back, I thought straight away either Dench or Southby for that position and we really didn't go looking for Silvagni.''

They had to after learning the rule, a rule which changed history.

Note: The selectors were Allen Aylett, Percy Beames, Bob Davis, Gerard Healy, Jack Irving, Bill Jacobs, David Parkin and Greg Hobbs.

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