Charlie Curnow has addressed the feverish speculation over his AFL future by declaring he will be a Carlton player in 2026.
The 28-year-old roared into the headlines this week following various reports that he was keen on a move to the Gold Coast to escape the Melbourne "footy bubble".
The Cats and Swans were also understood to be in the mix, with the dual Coleman medallist struggling for form this season on a Blues side that has won just seven of its 19 games.
Following Thursday night's 24-point loss to the Hawks, Curnow spoke to reporters and committed his future to the Navy Blues.
MORE: Brisbane veteran Dayne Zorko claims all-time record
"I obviously want to be here," he said. "I don't really want to make this about me right now, but I'm playing at Carlton next year.
"There you go. Done."
Contracted until the end of 2029, Curnow denied he had ever spoken to the Blues about switching clubs.
"No, nothing has happened," he added. "I'm just putting all of my time into playing footy at this club for the next year and the future years."
The hulking 194cm key forward has been a regular goalkicker for the Blues, registering 64 majors in 2022, a career-best 81 in 2023 and another 57 last season.
So a run of four straight matches without a single goal from rounds 15-18 this year was cause for concern at the struggling club.
It's been a disappointing season all round for the Blues and coach Michael Voss.
While Curnow is confident the team can turn its fortunes around for the rest of this season and heading into 2026, he conceded the speculation over his future had taken a toll on those around him.
"I just reckon sometimes people around you can be impacted," he said.
"That's the thing that can be most frustrating as an AFL player, your close family and partners and things … it probably impacts them more than us."