The son of AFL great Stephen Silvagni can be identified as the man from a high-profile family who was convicted of rape.

Tom Silvagni’s identity had been suppressed throughout his rape trial until Victorian County Court Judge Andrew Palmer lifted the order on Thursday.

Silvagni, who was an AFL player agent at Kapital Sports Group, is the brother of St Kilda player Jack.

His father Stephen is a two-time premiership player for the Carlton Football Club and was inducted into both the AFL and Carlton Hall of Fame.

His mother Jo Silvagni is a well-known Australian television personality.

Silvagni was convicted on December 5 of two counts of rape. He will face a pre-sentence hearing on Friday.

He denied he digitally raped his friend’s girlfriend at his Melbourne home in the early hours of January 14, 2024.

The jury was told the woman had consensual sex with her boyfriend at the house. He then organised an Uber and left the property shortly before 2am.

Silvagni then lied, telling the woman her boyfriend would be coming back upstairs because his Uber had been cancelled.

But it was Silvagni who went into the dark bedroom a short time later and pretended to be the woman’s boyfriend before digitally raping her twice.

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.

Silvagni was first charged with rape in June 2024. His lawyers successfully sought to have his case suppressed in the Magistrates Court.

He was ordered to stand trial in February 2025 following a committal hearing. His defence again applied for the suppression to continue.

A County Court judge overturned the suppression in May but Silvagni’s lawyers quickly appealed the decision to the Supreme Court.

The justice ruled in his favour in August and Silvagni’s identity was suppressed for his two-week trial in late November.

Media were also prohibited from publishing any information that could identify the Silvagni family, including any references to the AFL.

Stephen and Jo Silvagni outside court the day their youngest son was convicted of rape. Photo: AAP

How the case was shrouded in secrecy

The media was first alerted to Tom Silvagni’s rape charges by a court email, stating his lawyers were seeking a suppression order.

It was 1.40pm on June 14, 2024, and Silvagni’s filing hearing was due to be heard in Melbourne Magistrates Court at 2pm.

Journalists scrambled to court and the hearing started normally. Dates were set for Victoria Police to file a brief of evidence.

Then Silvagni’s lawyer stood up, making an appeal to suppress the case to protect the mental safety of Tom Silvagni and his mother Jo.

Magistrate Brett Sonnet was handed a psychiatric report. He quickly made an interim order restricting publication of any information that would identify Silvagni or his family.

Lawyers acting for the media tried to fight the suppression at a July 5 hearing, while Silvagni and his family holidayed in Noosa.

The lawyers argued the case was in the public interest and Silvagni was seeing a psychiatrist so the risk to his mental safety was reduced.

But Sonnet ultimately ruled in Silvagni’s favour, prohibiting reporting of his or his family’s identities.

“If Mr Silvagni was connected to ping pong or table tennis there wouldn’t be such media interest,” Sonnet said.

“It’s to do with Australia’s obsession with football.”

In February, the evidence against Silvagni was tested at a suppressed committal hearing. A magistrate ruled there was sufficient evidence for the case to go to trial.

The suppression order lapsed as the case entered the County Court but Silvagni’s lawyers again applied for his identity to be concealed.

Defence barrister David Hallowes SC argued any media coverage would lead to the deterioration of Silvagni’s mental health.

“The risk of suicide in the event of unrestricted publication is not hypothetical but real,” Hallowes told the County Court on April 10.

He pointed to Silvagni’s hospital admissions in June 2024 and March 2025, and said the mere possibility that his client would be named was detrimental to his health.

Media lawyer Justin Quill argued Silvagni’s mental health issues were connected to the charges he faced, rather than media attention.

He also noted Silvagni had extensive support from his family and was under the care of an experienced psychiatrist so his risk would be reduced.

Judge Peter Rozen ultimately found Silvagni’s mental health had deteriorated, despite no public reporting of the case.

“I cannot be satisfied the proposed order is necessary to protect his safety,” he told the court on May 2.

But Hallowes immediately indicated an appeal and the case remained suppressed.

Silvagni had another win on August 15, with Justice Michelle Quigley overturning the County Court decision and ruling the case should remain suppressed at trial.

Media remained unable to identify Silvagni or make any references to his employment, relationship with the AFL or any of his immediate family.

Then days out from his trial starting, Silvagni applied to have the order extended past the end of his rape trial.

He successfully sought for the case to be suppressed for three months after the case was finalised.

Silvagni was convicted of two counts of rape on December 5, with a jury finding he digitally raped a woman in his own home in January 2024.

Even though he was now a convicted rapist, the media was barred from naming him.

That was until Thursday, when County Court Judge Andrew Palmer ruled the order should be lifted because it was no longer necessary.

He found the risk to Silvagni’s mental health would be reduced in custody, given he would be closely monitored. Silvagni’s identity as the convicted rapist was also being widely discussed online, Palmer said.

“It is a matter of common knowledge within Melbourne,” he said.

Senior crown prosecutor Elizabeth Ruddle KC supported the view, saying continued suppression could bring the justice system into disrepute.

“Silvagni needs to face the music at some point,” she said.

Hallowes opposed the ruling, arguing he was notified of the plan to lift the order only on Wednesday afternoon and he needed more time to obtain material.

Palmer gave Silvagni’s lawyers until 4.30pm to appeal the decision in the Supreme Court. They ultimately chose not to.

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National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028

-AAP