Silvagni rape conviction casts a long shadow

Tom Silvagni is the 23-year-old son of Melbourne AFL royalty with a family legacy that dates back almost 100 years. But for the rest of his life he will be remembered as a convicted rapist, after being sentenced to six years’ jail on Wednesday.

Tom’s father, Stephen, is an AFL great from a famous football family. His mother Jo (nee Bailey) is even better known outside Melbourne – the glamorous former co-host of prime-time game show Sale of the Century. Tom Silvagni (left) outside the County Court in November. Nine News

The couple maintain their son’s innocence and had successfully fought for more than a year to keep his name secret.

But on Wednesday, Melbourne’s media was out in force as Judge Gregory Lyon sentenced Silvagni to prison for six years and two months, after a drunken night at the family home while his parents were away in Noosa ended in his “cunning” and violent rape of a young woman.

Silvagni was found guilty by a jury last week of impersonating his friend, sneaking into a dark bedroom at the home and digitally raping the victim in January 2024. In the days after, he doctored an Uber receipt to make it look like the victim’s boyfriend had left the house after 2.30am.

“You have demonstrated no remorse and no insight into any aspect of your wrongdoing,” the judge said on Wednesday. “Not the rapes, not altering the Uber receipt or your later conduct.”

But Silvagni’s crime shattered more lives and families than just those of his victim and his own, about which new details can now be reported.

Four people were at the Silvagnis’ home in Melbourne’s leafy and prestigious Balwyn North – which they have now sold – on the night of January 13, 2024.

Those present were Silvagni, his female victim, his girlfriend Alannah Iaconis and his best friend Anthony LoGiudice, son of former Blues president Mark LoGiudice.

The once-close Silvagni and LoGiudice families, whose sons attended exclusive Xavier College in Melbourne’s inner east and who own holiday homes in Noosa, have reportedly suffered a bitter fallout over the rape case. Stephen and Jo Silvagni arriving at the County Court on Wednesday for the sentencing of their son, Tom. Joe Armao

Last Friday, on the final day of the County Court trial that found Silvagni guilty of rape, the prosecution accused him of trying to “shift the blame” onto his best mate, Anthony.

On Wednesday, the victim sat with her family during the 40-minute sentence hearing. They wrapped their arms around her as she sobbed while the details of the offence were read out.

The victim, who has asked not to be named and who had been in a brief relationship with LoGiudice, told the County Court last week: “It’s actually terrifying that someone you thought you knew and trusted could do something so evil.”

A few seats away from the victim on Wednesday sat the Silvagni family as their youngest son was beamed into the courtroom on to giant television screens from custody at the Melbourne Assessment Prison. He looked straight ahead as he was sentenced. His shattered parents left the court without comment.

Silvagni was unmasked to public attention last week after an expensive legal battle to suppress his identity to protect his mental health meant he was able to stay anonymous for more than a year.

The suppression order was lifted after his conviction on Friday, with Judge Andrew Palmer noting Silvagni’s identity was common knowledge via social media. Palmer said he had noticed it in his own conversations with people who were not aware of his connection to the case.

In a city that worships AFL, the Silvagni name has been sacrosanct.

Stephen is considered one of the greats, not just at his team Carlton, where he won two premierships, but also as fullback in the AFL Team of the Century.

His nickname was SOS (Son of Serge) after his late father Sergio, a Carlton captain and Hall of Famer. Tom’s brother, Jack, has signed to play for St Kilda next year, after playing for Carlton since 2016.

But after almost a 100-year legacy enshrining the Silvagni name into legend, that reputation lies in tatters, as Tom swaps his privileged future for a jail cell.

On Wednesday, the judge said Silvagni had shown no remorse and described the offending as egregious and callous. He will be eligible for parole after three years and three months.

“Although your crimes rose from an opportunity you could not have envisioned … your crimes were marked by planning, cunning and strategy in order to deceive,” the judge ruled.