Carlton opt to leave out fit-again Jack Silvagni for semi-final

Carlton coach Michael Voss says he will not play fit-again forward Jack Silvagni in their cut-throat final against Melbourne at the MCG on Friday night.

The Blues coach said the utility was “not ready” for senior football, but fans were quick to speculate his absence might be related to his contract situation, with several clubs understood to be courting the unsigned Silvagni.

Carlton is seeking replacements for Harry McKay (concussion) and Jack Martin (suspension), with Matthew Kennedy expected to be one of the inclusions, while small forward Jesse Motlop is also in-line for a recall.

The Blues will enter the clash as firm underdogs, with AFL betting sites pricing them at around $2.15 for the win, while the Demons odds remain steady at $1.68.

Voss said the decision to go with a smaller forward-line was a tough one, considering Silvagni, who has been out for seven weeks, had passed a fitness test earlier in the week.

“He got through. He’s certainly available to play,” he said.

“I guess the question we have to ask is if he’s ready.

“He’d be coming in without having played a game first, so we have to weigh that up as a match committee. We’re weighing up availability against ready-to-play.”

Silvagni was a notable absence from Blues’ training on Thursday at Ikon Park, with the Blues hinting he might play VFL, given their continued participation in the second-tier competition.

“What we’ve been able to find is some real cohesiveness with our group,” Voss said.

“We’ve been able to play taller, and that’s certainly worked for us. We’ve gone with a bit of a smaller look, which has proved to be successful as well.

“It’ll be a tightly fought match and we’ll have to take those opportunities when we can. Our boys are going to have to compete in the air and get the ball to ground. We’re weighing all of that up and what we need to make that happen.”

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