[1] Prior to 1985 he captained the undefeated Marcellin College 1st XVIII that won both the 1984 Associated Grammar Schools premiership,[2] and the coveted Herald Shield Cup then[3] played under lights at Waverley Park.

He is widely known by his nickname, "SOS" (pronounced "Soss"), standing for "Son of Serge", referring to his father, Sergio Silvagni, another great Carlton player.

He is widely known by his nickname, "SOS" (pronounced "Soss"), standing for "Son of Serge", Silvagni was a highly energetic, resourceful footballer who was regarded as one of the finest full backs.

He retained the title as the best full-back for four years in succession, although he was also known for his marking and goalkicking ability when playing at the opposite end of the ground in the full-forward position at times, even kicking a bag of 10 goals in Round 16, 1993 against the Fitzroy Lions.

[9] A year after his retirement at the end of the 2001 season he announced that he would make a comeback to assist Carlton, following their penalties for salary cap infringements.

[11] Silvagni also played as goalkeeper for the Australian International Rules team on several occasions, and won the inaugural Jim Stynes Medal in 1998.

Silvangi was also a member of Carlton's 1987 and 1995 premiership sides[9][8] After retiring from playing, Silvagni worked as an assistant coach at four AFL clubs between 2002 and 2010: Collingwood, Sydney, Western Bulldogs and St Kilda.

[13] Stephen departed the Carlton Football Club, when he left his role as list manager on 4 December 2019, following the 2019 AFL season.