He’s the name on everyone’s lips ahead of Thursday night’s first match of the AFL season between Sydney and Carlton.
The SCG will be rocking with Swans fans ready to cheer on their new forward star. And a proud travelling contingent of Blues supporters will ensure Curnow feels their contempt every time he gets close to the ball.
The man himself will be doing everything he can to drown out the noise, because don’t get it wrong. Curnow will be nervous.
He won’t know what to expect from his former Carlton teammates.
Marc Murphy suggested there will be spot fires throughout the game, but the silent treatment could have an even greater impact – what if they don’t say anything?
He’ll be desperately wanting an early goal to calm the tension. The ideal scenario? Wheeling around on his right to slot one from 60 metres. That would be some way to also celebrate the milestone of his 150th AFL game.
But even though the Swans went all in to get Curnow to the club during the trade period, they’ve gone to great lengths to ensure the two-time Coleman Medallist knows he isn’t alone on Thursday
“Externally, we understand the narrative behind a lot of things,” Dean Cox said.
“But from his perspective, and also ours, he’s just one of 23 tomorrow night that we want to and expect to play his role for the footy club.”
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The hype for Curnow’s Swans debut has been building since his blockbuster trade was completed last October.
He’s been compared to the litany of talented key forwards who have played for Sydney over the years – Lockett, Hall, and Franklin.
His new teammate, Isaac Heeney, went as far as to liken Curnow’s presence to that of the Buddy-mania that swept across the club for a decade – even if Cox thinks Franklin remains “in a league of his own”.
“He brings that real presence down forward,” Heeney said. “It’s a bit of a Buddy presence – he’s a real competitor.
“He’s really enjoyed the way we interact throughout the club, but also the way we move the ball, and hopefully we can put it on his chest a little bit.
“I just want him to play games. I want him to enjoy his time here, and if we can allow him to have fun out there and we look after him, then goals will come.”
Curnow has already made the personal adjustment to life in Sydney, living it up in the Eastern Suburbs and searching for the best waves along the coast.
“He won’t come down to the bubble down in Maroubra,” Heeney joked. “He sticks to Tamarama and Bondi and those snobby places.”
Charlie Curnow kicks a goal as a Swan
But he’s also had a massive impact on young players around him.
The return of Logan McDonald following a year on the sidelines will be a massive boost to the Swans’ forward line, and the 23-year-old credits Curnow’s arrival for helping him get back to his best.
“I’m just in awe watching him at training, the way he moves and picking his brains in meetings and trying to learn as much as I can,” McDonald said.
“I think we both bring different strengths, and being able to complement each other is something we’re going to try to do … putting each other in the best positions to be able to succeed.
“I’m really excited for what our forward line can do.”
While the Swans will boast two more new players against Carlton – with Jai Serong and Malcolm Rosas Jr. also set to make their club debuts – there will be some familiar faces in navy blue on Thursday.
Will Hayward and Ollie Florent. The best mates became an integral part of the Curnow narrative when they were traded to Carlton to help facilitate the deal.
The beloved Swans were holidaying in South America when they were told their careers in Sydney were over. It was a tough call for Cox to make – but he knew he had to make a change to ensure the club was not only competitive, but in premiership contention.
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The result is two teams who genuinely believe they are better off. The Swans have the key forward they need, while the Blues have a team full of high-quality role players with a bounty of first-round draft picks at their disposal.
Whoever wins on Thursday will be the team that deals with the emotion at hand. And despite Hayward and Florent’s history at the Swans, they’re backing themselves to get the job done.
“The players have spoken about them,” Cox said. “I’ve experienced having a premiership captain leave and playing him the following year; it happens in every football team.
“It’s Opening Round, so there are a bit more eyes on it. But the players certainly understand what Will and Ollie can do. They’re Carlton footballers, so we’ll deal with that accordingly.”
Heeney added: “(It’s) strictly business at the moment. It was obviously tough seeing them go, being such amazing clubmen … but it’s gonna be on this Thursday, and I can’t wait.”