"It's a huge honour. I haven't contributed as much as dad and nonno, but it's nice to play a part in this cool little record."
Those are the words from St Kilda's Jack Silvagni, who this week spoke to Zero Hanger on an extraordinary family achievement.
On Saturday, the Silvagni name will be etched further into Australian football history when it takes over the Kennedys (John Sr, John Jr and Josh - played 695 matches across Hawthorn, Sydney and North Melbourne) for most combined games across three generations.
St Kilda defender, Jack, is continuing the family tradition, and will tally 696 games between his father, Stephen, and nonno (grandfather), Sergio against Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium.
It's a privilege not lost on the 28-year-old.
"It's obviously a huge privilege to follow in my nonno and dad's footsteps," Silvagni said.
"I will be grateful to the Carlton Football Club for giving me the opportunity to follow in their footsteps and wear their numbers. I loved my time at the Blues and being able to do that, and get my name on the locker underneath, that's probably my proudest achievement in footy so far.
"Obviously to be at the Saints now, and pave my own way, I think is a new and exciting chapter for me and my growing family."
On the pressure of being a Silvagni at Carlton, Jack said: "I mean it's probably scrutinized more externally than it was by myself.
"I've sort of grown up with it my whole life, so I never really knew anything different, and I think probably it took me a little while early on in my career to find my feet a little bit and try and remove myself and realise that I wasn't going to be my dad or my nonno and find my niche and what that was going to be.
"For a lot of my career that was plugging holes, and that's sort of where I landed.
"I was able to play a role that was valued in the team, and then only recently it's been down back, and I guess I find myself following even more in dad's footsteps nowadays. It's funny how the world works where I started as a pressure forward, did some tagging roles, pinch hit in the ruck, and now I find myself down at full back."
Football has been running in his blood since he was born, with nonno Sergio a two-time premiership player for Carlton, a club he played 239 games for and captained in 1964.
Stephen, donned the nickname SOS (son of Sergio), carved out his own successful career in the navy blue as an all-star full back. He played 312 games, and was also a two-time premiership player among five All-Australian blazers, two best and fairests and an Australian Football Hall of Fame (2005) member.
Jack was selected as a father-son prospect in 2015 by the Blues, and another chapter began with the Silvagni name.
With the height of expectations following not one, but two family members, the scrutiny was at fever-pitch.
But Jack, through his 128 games for Carlton, and his recent move to the Saints, has handled with grace and maturity, so much so, he has developed into a similar player to his father.
