As Charlie Curnow edges closer to a shock move to Sydney, former Carlton star Brendan Fevola has unleashed a stinging rebuke of the dual Coleman Medallist, saying he’s “glad” the forward is leaving the club.
Curnow is set to join the Swans after refusing to repair his relationship with coach Michael Voss, a breakdown that Fevola says speaks volumes about the player’s attitude.
Speaking on The Fox’s Fifi, Fev & Nick on Wednesday morning, Fevola said: “I’m actually glad he’s getting traded. I think Charlie had a bit of a disagreement with the coach. Vossy’s hard and I think he gave him a talking to, and he didn’t like it, so he goes ‘waaaah’, and he’s out.”
Salary cap strain complicates Swans’ Curnow bid
Curnow toured Sydney’s Moore Park base earlier this week as the Swans scrambled to finalise a deal before the trade deadline. Carlton rejected an offer of pick 11, a 2026 first-rounder, and players Will Hayward and Ollie Florent in exchange for Curnow and pick 22.
But Sydney’s pursuit has been slowed by salary cap constraints, with AFL Media’s Cal Twomey reporting that around $4 million remains on Curnow’s existing four-year deal. “The Swans are also in negotiations around Charlie Curnow’s deal... They are in talks on extending that out to five years. That would be a move to smooth,” Twomey said on AFL Trade Radio.
For Fevola, though, the saga reflects the business side of modern football. “Clubs don’t have any loyalty to the player. If they can get something better, they’ll better it,” he said. “So the player shouldn’t have loyalty to the club. It’s a business.”