Charlie Curnow’s horrible start to his career at the Sydney Swans has been shoved under the microscope, with the key forward looking like a man devoid of confidence, and again going goalless against a top-eight team.
Curnow was in dreadful form as the Swans took care of Gold Coast at Norwood Oval on Saturday, missing easy goals from close range and failing to have much impact across the board.
With Round 6 on the horizon, AFL expert Kane Cornes has called Curnow’s form a huge problem, and has also taken great issue with the former Carlton superstar describing himself as a “role player” in a recent media interview.
“I’ve had enough,” Cornes said on Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters.
“I hear that Charlie Curnow wants to be a role player. You don’t give up three first-round picks, two much-loved players for a role player,” Cornes said.
“You’re not a role player. You are a marquee forward, like the Swans have always gone and got. They didn’t sign up for a role player.”
Cornes then did a statistical breakdown of Curnow’s performances so far this year, and compared them with other forwards across the competition.
Curnow, an All-Australian in 2022 and 2023, is averaging 10.2 disposals a game, 4.4 marks, 1.8 goals and six score involvements.
The 29-year-old’s numbers are comparable to 22-year-old Fremantle forward Jye Amiss and, as Cornes pointed out, were behind North Melbourne eight-gamer Cooper Trembath.
“(Trembath) is beating him in marks. He’s beating him in goals (averaging 2.0 to Curnow’s 1.8). Look, the numbers stack up for an eight-gamer who was playing VFL footy last year. (North) got him in a mid-season pick. Cooper Trembath is outscoring Charlie Curnow, the marquee man at the Swans,” Cornes said.
Geelong’s Shannon Neale is another young forward who is, currently, outperforming Curnow.
“These numbers are dire,” Cornes said.
“I know it’s early, but he needs to lift. The Swans need him to lift.”
Cornes said Port Adelaide gun forward Mitch Georgiades, 24, was “smashing” Curnow while playing in an outfit that is struggling to win games.
“So this is a big story unfolding this year,” Cornes said.
“It hasn’t worked yet, and it needs to get going if the Swans are going to win the premiership this year.”
He was never that effective when at Carlton missing set shots with alarming regularity.
The same has been seen at Sydney those stats are not exceptional like his salary. He is no Buddy Franklin.
Sydney gave up a lot to get Curnow are they already worried?
They should be.