Carlton’s repeated insistence that Charlie Curnow won’t be traded hasn’t completely put the matter to bed, with fresh discussion suggesting the dual Coleman Medallist could still explore his options.
On Fox Footy’s On the Couch, Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph said the Blues had “repeated that strong stance” on keeping both Curnow and fellow key forward Harry McKay, yet hinted there’s still a sliver of doubt over Curnow’s long-term future.
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“Curnow has that door ajar slightly, despite that public stance that he shut down a trade request a couple of weeks back,” Ralph said. “I think he still would love to surf and have a different lifestyle there. That’s something the club is still going to have to work through.”
Sydney’s forward hunt keeps speculation alive
Earlier speculation linked Sydney and Geelong to Curnow, with triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown musing whether the Swans might still be working quietly behind the scenes.
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“I can’t help but think what Sydney would be up to behind the scenes,” Brown said. “They’ve had a long history of always having a marquee forward… I just wonder if they’d be sniffing around.”
Ralph noted that prising Curnow out of Carlton would take “a really compelling package in terms of players”, with pacy midfielders and a hard-running defender likely to be on the Blues’ wish list.
McKay has reaffirmed his commitment to the club, but with the Swans in the market for a spearhead and Curnow’s “door ajar”, the story looks set to linger into the off-season.