MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 26: Darren Milburn, Matthew Scarlett and Corey Enright of the Cats sing the song in the rooms after winning the round five AFL match between the Hawthorn Hawks and the Geelong Cats at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on April 26, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Former Greater Western Sydney list manager Stephen Silvagni has revealed the Giants made a play to lure former Geelong great Matthew Scarlett out of retirement.

The three-time premiership Cat called time on his career at the end of the 2012 season after 284 games and six All-Australian selections with Geelong.

The Giants had just finished their inaugural season in the AFL, coming 18th in the league after registering two wins with an extremely young list.

Speaking on AFL Trade Radio, Silvagni revealed the Giants had looked to add Scarlett to their list for 2013.

“We actually approached Matthew Scarlett at one stage up at the Giants to get him out of retirement,” Silvagni told AFL Trade Radio.

“We had a discussion, it was really interesting.

“Yeah (he engaged). We went to his home and we had a good discussion, but that didn’t eventuate.”

The Giants loaded up on experience in their early years, adding Chad Cornes, Luke Power, Heath Shaw, James McDonald, Dean Brogan, Bret Thornton and Stephen Gilham to their list.

Silvagni said that those players were integral to the club's growth.

“We pretty much got those guys the initial first year up at the Giants because we really attacked the draft the first three or four years and they brought some real leadership and work ethic,” he said.

“They’d all been successful players and we thought it worked really well because the way they trained, they showed the kids how they had to train.

“They were there in some real tough years.”