Earlier this year, Charlie Curnow marked on the lead, feigned to his right, cut to his left, left his Bulldogs opponent tottering and lashed a goal from outside 50. The ball didn’t spin normally but thudded through the air, a bit like a hammer throw. It was soundtracked by an ascending, guttural “CHAAAAAAARLIEEEE”. Michael Voss turned to the crowd, pumped his fist and screamed “You beauty!”
It was moments like that where it was easy to be seduced by Curnow. It was moments like that, under the Docklands roof, where the Carlton crowd would crackle with optimism. By the end of that night, as with so many others in 2025, the adrenaline wore off and the Blues were overhauled. In the warm-up, Curnow would be gambolling about and he’d almost always start the game well. But as his team stalled, he’d be a frustrated, peripheral figure.
