Four words into a 15-minute interview, Charlie Curnow has already flipped the script.
asserted
Curnow → flip → script
He’s probably wondering why this random reporter is sitting in front of him ahead of the Swans’ preliminary final against Fremantle on Friday night at the SCG.
asserted
reporter → wonder → SCG
It’s a fair question from a Victorian living in Sydney. The kind you’d get over a beer at the pub.
asserted
you → ’ → pub
He’s curious, not combative, and it’s an interesting start from a superstar who may hold the key to Sydney’s premiership hopes.
uncertain
who → ’ → hopes
For a kid growing up in western Sydney before the Giants existed, the Swans were the only show in town, and their preliminary final win over Fremantle at what’s now called Accor Stadium in 2006 sticks in the memory.
asserted
what → grow → memory
But it’s always better to barrack for the yarn.
asserted
it → ’ → yarn
The Swans, AFL champions in 2005 and 2012, might just be turning into the most followed sporting story of the year.
uncertain
Swans → turn → year
Last month, their 2026 season was “torpedoed”, in the words of chairman Andrew Pridham.
asserted
season → torpedo → Pridham
Five of their best players – Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice – were stood down for the remainder of the season after they breached club standards during a night out in Melbourne.
asserted
they → stand → Melbourne
A separate police investigation into an alleged sexual assault at the Pullman Hotel is ongoing.
asserted
investigation → allege → Hotel
A fortnight ago, without them, Sydney demolished Brisbane 141-88 in a qualifying final.
asserted
Sydney → demolish → final
Curnow, Sydney’s marquee full-forward, in his first season at the club, kicked five goals and lit up the SCG, spearheading arguably the Swans’ finest win in the city they moved to in 1982.
asserted
they → kick → 1982
The former Carlton man produced the sort of performance Sydney paid big bucks for: superb marks, outrageous snaps and the swagger of a player who looked as though he owned the SCG by the end of the afternoon.
asserted
he → produce → afternoon
Somewhere amid the chaos, Curnow has become the face of one of the more improbable September AFL charges in recent memory.
“When you’re kicking goals, it feels good,” Curnow says, having taken his season tally to 74.
asserted
Curnow → become → 74
But when the “Pullman five” were stood down, what did Curnow really think?
asserted
Curnow → stand → what
Did he fear, deep down, that the season was about to count for nothing?
asserted
season → fear → nothing
“I was unsure,” Curnow admits.
asserted
Curnow → admit → ?
“You’re probably a bit uncertain of what’s going to actually happen.”
asserted
what → ’re → ?
Has he spoken to Heeney, a close mate, or the others involved?
asserted
he → speak → Heeney
“It’s a tough one.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
Obviously, you still want to make sure everything’s going well and hope they’re all right, but there’s obviously a lot of stuff that we can’t comment on,” Curnow says.
asserted
Curnow → want → that
“We’ve got no idea what’s happening.”
asserted
what → get → idea
When Sydney beat North Melbourne by 53 points in the final round of the regular season, their first match after the incident, Curnow’s belief grew that the Swans could still win the flag.
uncertain
Swans → beat → flag
That was despite even the most rusted-on fans giving them Leicester City 2016 Premier League odds of even being at the MCG on September 26.
asserted
fans → rust → September
Swans players were spending more time together and bonding around the club.
asserted
players → spend → club
Different departments talked through what happened.
asserted
what → talk → ?
Coaches tried to narrow the focus to the things the team could actually control.
uncertain
team → try → things
When their season threatened to fracture, Sydney went the other way.
asserted
Sydney → threaten → ?
“I think that showed in our last two games how willing we are to play for each other,” Curnow says.
asserted
Curnow → think → other
“The coaches did an amazing job redirecting our minds.
asserted
coaches → do → minds
“Most of the boys would be saying they’ve really enjoyed the last few weeks, considering what’s happened and what’s going on.
asserted
what → say → weeks
Cool is not a word Curnow uses to describe the hours before the Brisbane game.
asserted
Curnow → use → game
Usually, the butterflies vanish once he arrives at the SCG and slips into the familiar rhythms of match day.
asserted
he → vanish → day
This time they stayed with him until the opening ball-up.
asserted
they → stay → up
For all that Curnow has achieved – three Coleman Medals as the AFL’s leading goalkicker, three All-Australian selections and a reputation as one of the most potent forwards in the competition – September has never been his best month.
asserted
September → achieve → competition
In three finals for Carlton, Curnow kicked just three goals.
asserted
Curnow → kick → goals
He’s also never played in an AFL grand final.
asserted
He → play → final
Without their sidelined players against the Lions, Errol Gulden was elite, Logan McDonald was magnificent in booting six majors and Tom Papley’s work rate was immense.
asserted
rate → sideline → majors
When Curnow kicked a belter of a fourth goal, the adrenaline was pumping.
asserted
adrenaline → kick → goal
He sprinted to the nearest fan in the stands.
asserted
He → sprint → stands
…and 56 more, not listed.
The Aporia
