Carlton chief executive Graham Wright has moved quickly to cool speculation around Charlie Curnow’s future, insisting the dual Coleman Medallist will remain at the club despite the forward signalling a desire to explore a trade.
Curnow, contracted until the end of 2029, reportedly raised the issue at his recent exit meeting, with Sydney and Geelong flagged as preferred destinations and Gold Coast also linked. His wish is understood to centre on stepping away from Melbourne’s intense football spotlight.
‘We want to see him finish his career here’
Speaking to the Blues’ website, Wright doubled down on the club’s stance that Curnow isn’t going anywhere. “I think we’ve been very clear from the start, Charlie is a required player, a contracted player for the next four years, and we want to see him finish his career here,” Wright said.
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“It’s been a big 12 months for Charlie. He’s had two or three operations across that period of time. He’s away on leave at the moment, we’re expecting him back in the next couple of weeks prior to the best and fairest, and he’ll be a Carlton player going forward.”
Carlton are bracing for a hectic trade period, set to receive compensation for the departures of Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni to St Kilda while also being linked with recruits including Ned Reeves, Campbell Chesser, Liam Reidy and Buku Khamis.
Wright confirmed the club would be “really active” in the market as they look to reshape their list for 2026 and beyond.