Boom Swans recruit Charlie Curnow booted three goals and was involved in a string of skirmishes as Sydney thumped Carlton, the spearhead’s former side, by 63 points in the first match of the AFL season on Thursday night.
The Blues could be set for another blow with fleet-footed half-back Ollie Florent, who crossed from Sydney to Carlton in last year’s trade period, facing scrutiny from the match review officer over contact on former teammate Isaac Heeney at the SCG.
The Sydney superstar went off after being kneed in the head by Florent during the second quarter, whether intentionally or carelessly, but the triple All-Australian passed his head injury assessment and returned to the field.
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The Swans ripped the game apart in a scarcely believable third-quarter rampage in which they piled on 75 points, including 12 goals, on their way to a 20.12 (132) to 10.9 (69) triumph.
It ranks as the third-most prolific quarter in AFL history.
Charlie Curnow celebrates with Errol Gulden after booting his first goal as a Swan. Getty
“How many teams in the competition could have done what Sydney did in the third term?” North Melbourne great David King said on Fox Footy’s coverage.
Richmond champion Jack Riewoldt wondered if Brisbane and Gold Coast were capable of inflicting that kind of damage, adding: “That was unbelievable, that third term.”
The Swans mustered only two goals across the first half, before running in 12 majors in the third term and another six in the final quarter.
Curnow, whose defection from Carlton to Sydney was among several seismic moves in last year’s trade period, kicked his first goal in the third term.
A fiery melee immediately broke out.
It was one of many scraps that punctuated the SCG clash. In the thick of many of them were Curnow, Patrick Cripps, Heeney and Tom Papley.
As for the Florent incident, Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall believes the Carlton recruit doesn’t have much to worry about.
Ollie Florent’s contact on Isaac Heeney. Fox Footy
“He looks to make sure he doesn’t tread on him with the right leg, and then he lifts the head to follow the footy, and I think he thinks the left leg’s just going to go over the top of him,” Dunstall said.
“That’s the way I would interpret it, but some people are a little more sinister than that.”
Fox Footy presenter Sarah Jones put forward a different view.
“I think it was an accident with an element of carelessness,” she said.
“If that was [Carlton’s] Patrick Cripps on the ground, does his head get knocked [by Florent]?”
Former St Kilda star Leigh Montagna gave Florent the benefit of the doubt.
“He maybe takes a bit more care [if it were Cripps on the ground]. I think you’ve got to give him the benefit of the doubt. Of course you do, to Ollie Florent,” Montagna said.
Earlier in the match, Heeney and Florent got into a spiteful push and shove.
“Was Ollie Florent being a little bit more reckless because of this incident earlier in the quarter?” Montagna wondered.
“I’m not sure you can read too much into it.”
Florent and Will Hayward, who are best mates, took on their former Swans teammates for the first time.
Both were traded to Carlton after last season, and both left with hard feelings about how Sydney coach Dean Cox had handled the process.