Charlie Curnow has landed in Sydney to continue a storied line of super star forwards heading north; think Lockett, Hall and Franklin.
“It’s the vibe” as Dennis Denuto famously said in the Australian film classic The Castle. Like Dennis, I can’t adequately find the words to explain why our lives change so radically once the footy season starts. Even in to my sixties, it’s anticipation, expectation, anxiety; how will my team perform, how will the season unfold. Who will rise or fall?
And it’s more than just the games. It’s the whole media that surrounds it; analysis via TV, radio and online. If not the first thing spoken about, it’s high on the agenda of each discussion at every lunch or coffee catch up I attend. For those of us invested, it’s an obsession, maybe a beautiful obsession.
The vibe around Curnow is high. The Swans had a poor year by its standards last year, finishing 10th and missing the finals for only the seventh time in 30 seasons. Can Curnow provide the star power up forward that we’ve lacked since Buddy Franklin’s retirement in 2023? Curnow has come at a high cost of a number of high draft picks plus two experienced and well regarded players – Will Hayward and Ollie Florent – heading the other way to the Blues.
We’ve also picked up Jai Serong from the Hawks to strengthen the defence and Mal Rosas from the Suns to add pace and pressure up forward. And hopefully we will get full seasons from key players Gulden, Mills, Papley and Amartey who missed big chunks of 2025.
Our footy department has been strengthened with the addition of former Demons premiership coach, Simon Goodwin, plus the return of Nick Malceski and Jeremy Laidler to the club to support second year coach Dean Cox. There is a strong vibe about the place.
As you might expect the AFL has scheduled the Swans to play the Blues first up in Sydney as game one of the Opening Round. The Blues have bought in a number of players to offset the loss of Curnow as well as De Koning and Silvagni to the Saints. How will both teams front up? Will this be the fiery grudge match expected?
I’m watching the game at home alone on TV, as I have an early start the next day. This circumstance usually lends itself to lots of verbal abuse directed at the screen.
Before play commences Swans CEO Matthew Pavlich leads an acknowledgement of lives lost at the Bondi massacre and recognition of first responders and survivors. This puts the game of footy into perspective.
There is a little pushing and shoving as the game kicks off, though once it settles down the Blues seem to take control. They are winning the ball and moving it well though not getting much reward on the score board. The Swans are fumbling and uncertain. Charlie has a few early chances that miss. At the first break the Blues are up two goals to none.
The second term follows a similar path. The Blues dominate contested possession without much reward. Our prime movers Gulden and Heeney are just not getting the ball. A few like Warner and new boys Serong and Rosas are keeping us competitive. Finally we get on the board with goals to Amartey and Rosas.
However four goals to the Blues, two either side of the main break have them 22 points up early in the third term. It might have been more. We are in trouble and I’m wondering why I’d been looking forward to the stress and anxiety that this game brings. We look very ordinary.
Then it happens. The Swans start running from defence and all over the ground with Gulden, Heeney, Blakey, Warner and in particular Justin McInerney prominent. McInerney starts the comeback with two goals on the run and in a blink we pile on six goals including one to Charlie, his first of hopefully many for the Swans. There are a few spot fires breaking out after each goal. The Blues are distracted. We are only half way through the quarter and the 40,000 strong crowd is pumping.
Despite a few goals to the Blues, the Swans are irresistible and running amok. We double the quota finishing with 12 goals for the term; an unbelievable turn around with goals spread amongst the midfielders and forwards. The Swans are 39 points up at the last break. Game over. I can relax and enjoy the remainder of the game.
The final quarter sees the Swans add another six goals to the Blues two. The Swans are running on top of the ground, the Blues chasing. McInerney is best on ground with 31 possessions and 3 goals, perhaps his best game for the Swans. Our running capacity has overwhelmed the opposition with goals spread; three each to Curnow, Amartey and McInerney and two each to Heeney and Roberts, the others spread for a stunning 63 point win.
So one week down I get to bathe in the vibe of a glorious win. I try not to go down the rabbit whole of consuming every bit of media. I watch the mini highlights package a few times. I’m confident we are in for a good year, though I know there will be down weeks and losses. After all we were terrible for over a half of this game.
I’m locked in for a road trip to Adelaide for the Gather Round after Easter and to Sydney for the Marngrook game against the Magpies in round ten. The ups and downs, the rhythms of the week are sorted for the next 6 or 7 months. Let’s enjoy the vibe!
Votes: 3 McInerney, 2 Gulden, 1 Warner
SYDNEY 0.3 2.6 14.9 20.12 (132)
CARLTON 2.2 4.4 8.6 10.9 (69)
GOALS:
Sydney: Curnow 3, McInerney 3, Amartey 3, Roberts 2, Heeney 2, Warner, Sheldrick, Rowbottom, Rosas, Papley, McDonald, Grundy
Carlton: Pittonet 3, Ainsworth 2, Moir, McKay, Kemp, E.Hollands, Hayward
BEST:
Sydney: Gulden, McInerney, Heeney, Warner, Serong, Roberts
Carlton: Walsh, Lord, Smith, Pittonet
INJURIES: Sydney: Nil Carlton: Saad (hamstring tightness)
CROWD: 40,372 at the SCG
More stories by Keiran Croker can be read Here.
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About Keiran Croker
Keiran is a lifelong Swans supporter, despite a brief dalliance with the Cats and Tigers in primary school years. Family connections to Port Melbourne and South Melbourne demanded loyalty to the Swans. The long wait for success was worth it.
Simply Irresistible Kieran!
Crokes, you failed to mention the rumour that the tram outside the ground had broken down and half the Swans players were on it!
They only arrived at the ground just after halftime!